Retail Store Manager
Ask & Embla | London, UK | Full-time
Reports to: TBC
If you know Ask & Embla, you already know why this is exciting. If you don't, this might be the role that changes that.
We are going physical. Our first-ever retail store is opening in London, and we are looking for the person who will bring it to life. This is a chance to be part of something that does not exist yet, to build it from scratch, and to leave your mark on a brand that already has a global community waiting for it.
If that sounds like something you want to be part of, keep reading.
The Role
Ask & Embla is a alternative jewelry brand born from punk, goth, and music subcultures, with a collective following of over 850,000 and a deeply loyal global community. We are opening our first physical retail store in London and we are looking for a Retail Store Manager who can build something extraordinary. We need someone who gets the brand instinctively, someone who is fashion-forward, culturally plugged in, and ideally loves our jewelry. If you have a commitment to excellence, the operational muscle to run a store, and you genuinely resonate with who Ask & Embla is and what we stand for, we want to hear from you.
What You'll Do
Store Operations and Performance
- Oversee daily store operations, ensuring smooth opening, closing, and in-store workflows
- Own store sales performance, revenue targets, and key retail KPIs
- Monitor inventory levels, stock movement, and replenishment needs in coordination with internal teams
- Ensure store standards are consistently met across cleanliness, merchandising, and customer flow
- Identify operational gaps and implement improvements to increase efficiency and reduce friction
Customer Experience
- Deliver a high-quality, on-brand customer experience that reflects our values and aesthetic
- Train the team to provide confident, knowledgeable, and respectful service
- Handle customer feedback, escalations, and edge cases with professionalism and empathy
- Create an in-store environment where customers feel comfortable, understood, and excited to return
Team Leadership and Development
- Recruit, onboard, train, and manage store staff
- Set clear expectations around service standards, performance, and accountability
- Build team schedules that balance business needs, peak hours, and staff wellbeing
- Coach and develop team members through regular feedback and hands-on leadership
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing store culture
Visual Merchandising and Brand Execution
- Ensure visual merchandising reflects brand standards and seasonal priorities
- Maintain strong product presentation, layout, and visual storytelling in-store
- Work with internal teams to support store launches, activations, and campaign rollouts
- Provide feedback on how products and displays perform in a physical environment
Reporting and Communication
- Track and report on sales performance, foot traffic, conversion, and other key metrics
- Share insights from the store floor to inform product, marketing, and operations decisions
- Maintain clear documentation for store procedures, policies, and workflows
- Act as the main point of contact between the store and internal stakeholders
Store Launch and Growth
- Support pre-opening setup including staffing, training, processes, and operational readiness
- Help define and refine store systems as the business grows
- Contribute ideas for in-store activations, community moments, and experiential retail concepts
Who You Are
- 3 to 5 years of retail management experience, ideally in fashion, lifestyle, jewelry, or alternative culture brands
- Proven track record of building and leading high-performing store teams
- Fashion-forward with a strong personal aesthetic and a genuine feel for alternative, subculture, and lifestyle brands
- Knows Ask & Embla, ideally as a customer or long-time follower, or has genuine resonance with Ask & Embla, with a clear understanding of the aesthetic, values, and audience.
- Can represent the brand authentically on the floor, not just professionally but personally
- Strong commercial instinct, you understand what drives sales and know how to act on it
- Operationally sharp, comfortable managing stock, rosters, reporting, and everything in between
- Proactive and self-directed, you do not wait to be told what to do and you bring solutions, not problems
- Passionate about customer experience and the details that make it exceptional
- Comfortable working with a remote global team across different time zones
- Based in London or willing to relocate
About Ask & Embla
Who We Are:
Ask & Embla is a rapidly growing jewelry brand born from alternative subcultures shaped by punk, goth, and music movements. We're based in Singapore, with a collective following of more than 850,000 across our social media channels. Our growth continues with the launch of Ambi, our piercing-focused jewelry brand, which carries the same spirit of self-expression as Ask & Embla.
As e-commerce brands, we ship internationally to a diverse customer base, and we are proud to be one of the leading brands worldwide in the alternative jewelry space. We’re passionate about creating a company that brings out the best in everyone, where individuals love to work and grow as a team. That means constantly learning, building new things, staying flexible about how and where we work, and empowering each other to do the proudest work of our lives.
Ask & Embla is led by an ex-Googler and ex-Amazonian, supported by dozens of team members across multiple countries. We’re building the foundation to expand into several business verticals beyond e-commerce, while continuing our operations to fulfil thousands of orders each month.
Ready to Join Us?
If you're a results-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, we encourage you to apply!
Learn More about Ask & Embla:
Website - https://askandembla.net/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/askemblastore/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AskEmblastore/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/askemblastore/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@askandembla_official
Why Work With Us?
We learn and build fast together, united not only by the purpose and passion of creating beautiful, expressive, and sustainably made jewelry, but also by a community that celebrates freedom in self-expression. Everyone deserves to be fully themselves, and our jewelry designs are contemporary emblems that let them do so with pride.
Pay: £3,500.00-£4,500.00 per month
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Private medical insurance
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London, Greater London: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Store management: 3 years (required)
- store launching: 1 year (required)
Language:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
