Director of Retail - North America
1 day ago
New York
Job DescriptionCompany Description At Frette we expect all employees to be team players by demonstrating a high degree of integrity and contributing to a positive environment that is fun, professional and productive. Employees are required to contribute to maintaining all brand and operating standards consistently while ensuring a high level of customer service through extensive product knowledge and commitment to an elevated selling ceremony. Job Description I. Leadership & Strategic Retail Management * Hold full P&L ownership for all North American retail stores; accountable for revenue growth, profitability, expense management, and contribution margins. * Translate corporate strategy into clear, actionable programs at the store level; ensure consistent execution across all regions. * Maintain a strong field presence across both coasts, observing client experience, store standards, product performance, and team engagement. * Set and exceed sales targets, KPIs, conversion rates, and clienteling benchmarks. * Lead monthly and quarterly business reviews, analyzing trends, identifying opportunities, and defining corrective actions. * Cascade all directives, initiatives, and priorities from HQ with clarity, alignment, and urgency. * Partner with CRM, Marketing, Merchandising, and Visual Merchandising to elevate the Frette store experience, including execution of selling ceremony, service rituals, and presentation standards. * Identify market opportunities and develop strategies to expand existing markets, enter new ones, and support future store opening initiatives. II. People Leadership & Talent Development * Build, develop, and retain an exceptional field leadership bench (Store Managers, Assistant Managers, Key Holders, etc). * Actively coach store leaders through weekly touchbases, in-store shadowing, role-play training, and goal-setting conversations. * Create a culture rooted in accountability, high performance, functional feedback, and professional excellence. * Lead succession planning in partnership with HR, identifying top talent and creating individualized development plans. * Oversee recruitment strategies with HR to ensure every store attracts luxury-caliber talent with strong service, selling, and brand ambassadorship qualities. * Quickly and effectively manage poor performance, skill gaps, or cultural misalignment through coaching plans or corrective action. * Deliver and facilitate training programs including selling ceremony refreshers, onboarding, product education, CRM processes, and service protocol standards. * Conduct new-hire inductions and ensure consistent and elevated onboarding experience across markets. III. Sales, Client Development & Market Outreach * Serve as the lead Frette Brand Ambassador in the North American retail market. * Develop strong relationships with trade partners, showrooms, property managers, interior designers, luxury residential contacts, hotels, and hospitality groups. * Drive business development initiatives outside the store through networking, partnerships, local market events, and community engagement. * Oversee execution of client acquisition and retention strategies, including CRM outreach, elevated follow-ups, in-home appointments, and white-glove services. * Support stores in preparing and presenting proposals, mood boards, large-scale projects, quotes, and hospitality opportunities. * Lead planning and execution of local events, trunk shows, brand activations, and store-hosted experiences in collaboration with Marketing. * Ensure all stores deliver a world-class selling ceremony, embodying Frette’s heritage, product expertise, and bespoke capabilities. * Resolve high-level customer issues with discretion and professionalism, ensuring client retention and long-term loyalty. IV. Retail Operations & Execution Excellence * Oversee all operational functions of stores including scheduling, reporting, staffing models, payroll budgeting, and inventory management. * Review daily, weekly, and monthly reporting for accuracy, trends, and opportunities; take action to address performance gaps. * Ensure compliance with all company policies, SOPs, security protocols, loss prevention standards, and legal requirements. * Partner closely with Merchandising & Inventory Planning to ensure optimal product assortments, allocations, replenishment levels, and regional nuance needs. * Drive operational excellence in: * Stockroom organization and processing * Cycle counts & semi-annual inventory * Shipping, receiving, transfers, RTVs * IT helpdesk requests & POS performance * VM updates, bed changes, and floor standards * Enforce daily VM and cleanliness standards across all locations; ensure consistency in photo submissions and store walk-through documentation. * Proactively escalate operational challenges and partner with Corporate Retail team for resolution. * Oversee new store openings, relocations, closures, and remodels, including staffing, training, operations setup, and visual rollout. V. Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration * Partner with: * CRM on client segmentation, KPIs, and outreach standards. * Marketing on events, local activations, and brand-building activities. * Merchandising on assortments, product needs, and sell-through insights. * Visual Merchandising on store presentation, standards, and seasonal updates. * HR on recruitment, performance management, and employee relations matters. * Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and expense monitoring. * IT on system updates, troubleshooting, and retail technologies. * Represent retail in cross-functional meetings, providing insights on trends, client behavior, product performance, operational needs, and staffing requirements. Qualifications Skills & Qualifications * 10+ years of luxury retail experience with 3–5+ years in multi-unit leadership (Director, Regional Manager, or Area Manager). * Demonstrated success leading high-performing teams across multiple markets in luxury retail, hospitality, or home/interior design. * Strong business acumen with advanced analytical skills; able to interpret selling reports, financials, KPIs, CRM metrics, payroll, and P&L data. * Proven success in business development and driving sales outside of brick-and-mortar traffic. * Elevated communication, networking, and client engagement skills befitting a luxury brand. * Strong training, coaching, leadership development, and performance management capabilities. * Experience managing store openings, relocations, or market launches preferred. * High proficiency in POS systems, Microsoft Office, and Google Workspace. * Ability to work independently, demonstrate managerial courage, and make balanced decisions in complex scenarios. * Highly organized with strong project management, follow-up skills, and ability to manage competing priorities. * Flexible availability including weekends, evenings, holidays, and peak retail periods. * Ability and willingness to travel up to 70–75%, including periodic travel to NYC HQ and annual travel to Italy HQ. Physical Requirements * Ability to lift up to 40 lbs and move product using appropriate equipment. * Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, and maneuver in stockrooms and on the sales floor for extended periods. * Ability to climb OSHA-approved ladders and move textiles, bedding, and décor items as needed. Additional Information All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. It is the policy and commitment of Frette to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. The objective of Frette is to recruit, hire, train, and promote the most qualified applicants into all job levels. Frette does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Frette will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in any undue hardship to the Company. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training. For full time roles, in addition to the base salary, Frette offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short + long term disability, 401K with Company match, paid maternity/paternity leave, employee discount, paid holidays, and a paid time-off policy.