Company Overview
Located in Chigwell, Essex, Hallmark Cards is a renowned card and gift shop dedicated to providing high-quality products and exceptional customer service. We pride ourselves on creating a welcoming environment where customers can find thoughtful gifts and greeting cards for every occasion.
Retail Operations & Creative AssistantHours
Guaranteed minimum of 35 hours per 4-week pay cycle
Role Overview
We are looking for a flexible, creative and practical Retail Operations & Creative Assistant to join our team.
This is a varied role within a busy and growing retail business. The successful candidate will support the day-to-day running of the shop while also using their creative skills across flowers, balloons and plants.
This is not a role that is solely focused on floristry. We are looking for someone who is happy to move between creative work, customer service and general retail operations depending on what the business needs.
The role will suit someone who enjoys variety, is confident working independently, has excellent customer service skills and is willing to get involved across all areas of the business.
Working Pattern, Flexibility & Additional Hours
The role provides a guaranteed minimum of 35 hours per 4-week pay cycle.
Working hours will be arranged around the needs of the business and may vary considerably. Shifts could include:
- Short 2-hour shifts
- Lunch cover
- Morning or afternoon shifts
- Evening shifts
- Full-day shifts
- Opening or closing shifts
- Additional cover when another member of staff is unavailable
- Additional hours during busy periods and peak seasons
Full flexibility is an important requirement of this role.
The successful candidate must be able to work across different times of the day, including mornings, afternoons and evenings, depending on business requirements.
Additional Hours & Overtime
The ability and willingness to work additional hours and overtime is an important part of this role.
There will be opportunities to work beyond the guaranteed 35 hours per 4-week pay cycle when required by the business. Additional hours may be offered due to:
- Staff holidays
- Sickness or unexpected absence
- Increased customer demand
- Busy trading periods
- Seasonal peaks
- Special events
- Large orders
- Deliveries
- Other operational requirements
The successful candidate should therefore be someone who is happy to increase their hours when additional work is available and the business requires it.
Additional hours are not guaranteed and will depend on business requirements and availability.
The ability to respond positively to additional shifts, including where reasonably possible at short notice, will be considered an important part of the role.
During peak trading periods, the successful candidate will be expected to provide increased availability where possible.
Key ResponsibilitiesFlowers & Floristry
- Creating and preparing floral arrangements and bouquets
- Following established Bloom designs, recipes and quality standards
- Assisting with larger or more complex floral orders
- Preparing flowers for sale and ensuring they are presented to a high standard
- Conditioning and caring for fresh flowers
- Helping maintain stock levels
- Taking photographs of completed work where required
- Supporting the development of new floral designs and ideas
- Being willing to learn and develop floristry skills
Balloons
- Creating balloon arrangements and displays
- Preparing balloons for customer orders
- Following existing balloon designs and recipes
- Maintaining balloon stock and equipment
- Helping develop new balloon products and ideas
- Ensuring balloon orders are completed to the required quality standard
Previous balloon experience is highly desirable.
Plants
- Caring for and maintaining plant stock
- Watering and general plant care
- Merchandising plants and maintaining attractive displays
- Helping customers with basic plant enquiries
- Developing knowledge of plants and products sold within the shop
- Identifying damaged, unhealthy or poor-quality stock
Previous plant knowledge would be an advantage.
Retail & Customer Service
- Welcoming and serving customers
- Processing sales and orders
- Using the till and relevant retail systems
- Taking telephone and in-person enquiries
- Helping customers choose flowers, plants, balloons and other products
- Processing payments
- Maintaining high standards of customer service
- Keeping the shop clean, tidy and well presented
- Replenishing displays and stock
- Providing lunch cover for other members of the team
- Assisting with general shop duties as required
The successful candidate must be comfortable switching between creative work and serving customers throughout a shift.
Shop Operations
Once fully trained, the successful candidate may be required to:
- Open the shop
- Close the shop
- Follow opening and closing procedures
- Assist with cashing up
- Follow cash-handling procedures
- Complete daily retail tasks
- Check displays and stock
- Ensure the shop is ready for trading
- Support the team during busy periods
- Work independently when required
Deliveries
A full driving licence and access to a suitable vehicle would be highly desirable.
Where required, the successful candidate may assist with:
- Local customer deliveries
- Floral and balloon deliveries
- Collection of stock or materials
- Supporting the shop with delivery requirements at short notice
Driving is not the sole purpose of the role, but being able to assist with deliveries would provide valuable additional flexibility to the business.
Social Media & Content
The successful candidate will ideally be comfortable using social media and digital technology.
Responsibilities may include:
- Taking photographs and videos of products
- Photographing floral and balloon work
- Supporting social media content
- Helping showcase new products and designs
- Providing ideas for social media content
- Using basic digital tools and systems
- Helping with other technology or IT-related tasks where appropriate
Business Development & Ideas
We are a growing independent retail business and want team members who are willing to contribute ideas.
The successful candidate will be encouraged to:
- Suggest new products and designs
- Identify opportunities to improve displays
- Suggest ideas for seasonal products
- Identify ways to improve customer experience
- Help develop new floral and balloon designs
- Contribute ideas for social media and marketing
- Identify practical improvements to the way the shop operates
We are looking for someone who doesn't simply see a task and complete it, but who is interested in how the business could do things better.
Cover & Team Support
Flexibility is an important part of this position.
The successful candidate will be expected to support the wider team when required, including providing additional cover when another team member is absent.
If a regular member of the team is on holiday, absent or otherwise unavailable, the successful candidate may be asked to increase their hours where possible to help maintain the smooth running of the shop.
The role is therefore particularly suited to someone who is comfortable with a changing working pattern and understands that retail requirements can change from week to week.
Essential Skills & Experience
We are looking for someone who has:
- Previous experience in a retail environment
- Excellent customer service skills
- Good communication skills
- A reliable and flexible approach to work
- The ability and willingness to work additional hours and overtime when required
- Availability across mornings, afternoons and evenings
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Confidence using a till and basic technology
- A willingness to learn different aspects of the business
- The ability to work calmly during busy periods
- Good attention to detail
- A practical, hands-on approach
- The ability to follow instructions, recipes and established processes
Desirable Experience
The following would be particularly advantageous:
- Floristry experience
- Balloon experience
- Plant knowledge
- Experience working in an independent retail business
- Previous keyholder experience
- Experience opening or closing a shop
- Cashing-up experience
- Social media experience
- Photography or content creation skills
- Good IT skills
- Full driving licence
- Access to a suitable vehicle
- Experience making deliveries
- Experience developing new products or displays
We recognise that it may be difficult to find someone who has every skill listed. We are particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate the right attitude, flexibility and willingness to learn, alongside relevant creative or retail experience.
The Person We Are Looking For
The ideal candidate will be:
Creative – enjoys flowers, balloons, plants and creating attractive products.
Flexible – happy to work different shift patterns and adapt to the needs of the business.
Available – willing and able to take on additional hours and overtime when required.
Customer-focused – enjoys helping customers and providing excellent service.
Practical – willing to get stuck into whatever needs doing.
Reliable – can be trusted to work independently and take responsibility.
IT confident – comfortable learning and using different systems and digital tools.
Commercially minded – interested in products, displays, sales and how the business can grow.
A team player – willing to support colleagues and provide additional cover when needed.
Proactive – sees opportunities and problems and is willing to suggest solutions.
Pay: From £12.71 per hour
Expected hours: 5.0 – 16.0 per week
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Free parking
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
