GENERAL MANAGER – RETAIL
YORKSHIRE CARAVANS AND MOTORHOMES LTD
Location: Bawtry, near Doncaster
Job Type: Full-time
Senior Leadership Role
Yorkshire Caravans of Bawtry is one of the UK’s leading caravan, motorhome, and outdoor leisure businesses.
We have over 100 years of heritage, a substantial customer base, significant retail space and one of the largest caravan and motorhome operations in the country.
We also believe our leisure shop and awnings business is underperforming its potential.
We currently generate approximately £3 million of retail and on line sales.
Our target is £7 million within two years.
We are looking for an exceptional commercial retail leader to create the plan, build the team and deliver the result.
This is not a Store Manager position.
This is a retail transformation role.
THE CHALLENGE
Your first responsibility will be to understand the existing business and create a detailed, commercially credible two-year growth plan to increase retail sales from £3 million to £7 million.
Then you will be responsible for delivering it.
You will have significant autonomy, direct access to the owners and senior leadership team and the ability to fundamentally reshape the retail operation.
The scope of the role will not only include our leisure retail business and awnings but also the Yorkshire Caravans parts division.
At the same time, you will oversee the major refurbishment and redevelopment of our existing retail space.
The challenge is to transform the store while continuing to grow sales.
We are looking for someone who understands that retail space is an asset.
Every square foot should have a purpose.
Every category should justify its position.
Every supplier relationship should create value.
Every product should earn its place.
THE £3M TO £7M PLAN
You will personally create and own a detailed growth strategy covering:
- Sales growth by category
- Sales per square foot
- Category participation
- Gross and net margin growth
- Stock turn and stock investment
- Average transaction value
- Customer conversion
- New product categories
- Parts growth
- Supplier strategy
- Overseas sourcing and direct importing
- Own-brand and exclusive product opportunities
. On line customer ordering and integration with retail
- Seasonal events and promotions
- Retail space monetisation
- Team structure, training and development
- This will not be a presentation that sits in a drawer.It will become the operating plan for the retail business.You will report progress against the plan weekly and monthly and will be accountable for its delivery.COMMERCIAL OWNERSHIP
- You will take full commercial and operational responsibility for the retail, awnings and parts businesses.
- You will be expected to know the numbers.
- You should understand what is selling, what is not selling, where margin is being made, where stock is ageing and where the next commercial opportunity exists.
- You will use data to make decisions quickly.
- You will be expected to challenge historical buying decisions, supplier relationships, product ranges and the use of retail space.
- If a category is not performing, you will fix it, move it or remove it.
- If a better product can be sourced, you will find it.
- If we can buy better, we expect you to buy better.
- If there is a new commercial opportunity, we expect you to pursue it.OVERSEAS SOURCING & MARGIN GROWTH
- We are particularly interested in candidates with experience sourcing and importing products directly from overseas.
- You may have experience working with manufacturers and suppliers in China, Europe or other international markets.
- You will identify opportunities to:
- Source products directly from manufacturers
- Improve buying margins
- Develop exclusive product ranges
- Create own-brand opportunities
- Reduce unnecessary layers within the supply chain
- Negotiate improved supplier terms
- Build long-term strategic manufacturing relationships
- We do not simply want to sell more products.We want to improve the quality of our sales and significantly increase profitability.RETAIL SPACE SHOULD MAKE MONEY
- Our retail space is a commercial asset.
- We want someone who understands how to monetise it.
- You will develop commercial partnerships with major suppliers and brands.
- This may include:
- Branded retail areas
- Supplier-funded shop fits
- Shop-in-shop concepts
- Exclusive brand partnerships
- Promotional spaces
- Product launch areas
- Seasonal brand activations
- Paid supplier positioning
- You will be comfortable sitting across the table from major suppliers and demonstrating why access to our customers and our retail space has significant commercial value.We want our suppliers investing in our growth alongside us.THE STORE TRANSFORMATION
- You will oversee a significant refurbishment and redevelopment of our retail store.
- You will work with the ownership team, designers, contractors and suppliers to create a modern, high-performing retail environment.
- The objective is not simply to make the store look better.
- The objective is to make the store perform better.
- You will be responsible for ensuring the refurbishment improves:
- Customer journey
- Product discovery
- Sales densities
- Category adjacencies
- Visual merchandising
- Supplier presentation
- Promotional capability
- Customer dwell time
- Conversion
- The business must continue trading and growing while this transformation takes place.
THE PERSON
We are looking for a genuinely exceptional retail operator.
You may currently be a General Manager, Regional Manager, Head of Retail, Commercial Director, Trading Director or senior leader within a high-performing retail business.
You do not need caravan or motorhome experience.
We can teach you our industry.
We cannot teach commercial instinct, leadership, ambition or the desire to build something exceptional.
You will have a proven record of personally delivering significant retail growth.
We will want to understand:
What was the business doing when you arrived?
What did you change?
What did you personally own?
What resistance did you encounter?
What were the numbers when you finished?
We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in large-format, multi-category or destination retail.
Experience in overseas sourcing, direct importing, own-brand development, or supplier-funded retail environments would be a significant advantage.
YOU WILL NEED TO BE:
Commercially obsessive.
Data driven.
Fast moving.
Comfortable with accountability.
Capable of building and leading an exceptional team.
Confident challenging established thinking.
Close to the shop floor and the customer.
Able to move between strategy and execution.
Relentlessly focused on sales and profit.
You should think like an owner.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Yorkshire Caravans is entering the most ambitious period of growth in its 100-year history.
Our wider ambition is to create the UK’s leading caravan, motorhome and outdoor leisure destination.
Retail is a fundamental part of that vision.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build and lead a £7 million retail business and potentially considerably more beyond that.
You will have genuine autonomy.
You will have access to investment.
You will work directly with the owners and senior leadership team.
You will have the ability to reshape the retail business.
And your results will be highly visible.
THE PACKAGE
- Highly competitive senior management salary
- Performance related bonus directly linked to growth and profitability
- Genuine P&L ownership
- Significant autonomy and decision-making authority
- Direct access to the owners and senior leadership team
- The opportunity to build and lead a major retail growth story
- APPLYINGWe are not asking for a generic covering letter.Alongside your CV, please answer the following three questions:1. What is the most significant retail growth or transformation you have personally delivered?2. What were the sales and profit numbers before you started and after you finished?3. If you joined a £3 million retail business tomorrow and were challenged to take it to £7 million within two years, what are the first five things you would investigate?If your experience is based on maintaining an existing retail operation, this is probably not the right role.If your experience is based on building, transforming and growing retail businesses, we want to talk to you.Please email [email protected]
Pay: £40,000.00-£60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Store discount
Experience:
- Senior Retail Management: 5 years (required)
Work Location: In person
