Elevating Retail Excellence: Retail Roles That Drive Success

In a competitive retail landscape, the impact of retail roles extend far beyond their job descriptions. They're the bridge between the products and the customers, ensuring that every touchpoint reflects excellence, reliability, and innovation. At EB, we understand that the heartbeat of any successful retail venture lies in the expertise and dedication of its team. If you’re exploring a career in retail, or are looking to increase the success and efficiency of your retail team, here are a few common positions that you may want to familiarize yourself with:

1. Store Operations Manager: A Store Operations Manager ensures the day-to-day activities run smoothly. They handle workflows, keep an eye on inventory, and make sure customers have a great experience.  Their ability to coordinate various tasks and teams within the store is pivotal for maintaining high standards of service and satisfaction.

 2. Visual Merchandiser: Responsible for how a retail store looks and feels, they craft displays that catch your eye and encourage purchases by showcasing products effectively. Bringing the right talent onboard for this role means having someone who can visually narrate the story of a brand's products. 

 3. Inventory Control Specialist: They're the precision team, monitoring stock levels, managing restocking, and ensuring products are consistently available for customers. ​​Their attention to detail directly impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty.

 4. Wholesale Manager: Hiring the right talent for this a Wholesale Manager means securing a professional who can build and nurture supplier relations, negotiate effectively, and strategize to expand a wholesale side of a brand. Their expertise directly influences a brand’s ability to access quality products, maintain favorable terms, and ultimately drive business growth.

 5.Retail Analyst: Digging into numbers, trends, and consumer behavior, they provide insights crucial for making informed decisions and optimizing operations. Hiring the right Retail Analyst equips brands to stay ahead in a competitive market.

 6. Supply Chain Coordinator: Finding the right person for a Supply Chain Coordinator ensures a seamless flow of products from suppliers to stores. Their knack for managing logistics and vendor relationships directly impacts a brand's ability to maintain product availability, optimize costs, and uphold operational efficiency.

At Emerging Blue, we value the diverse expertise crucial for thriving retail. Our focus on finding top-tier talent for these roles creates a team dedicated to operational excellence, precise inventory management, and strategic growth. If you’re interested in exploring a career in retail, or are looking to grow your team, connect with our retail recruiting team!

Related articles:

• https://sociable.co/business/5-strategies-for-retail-success-elevate-customer-experience-and-drive-business-growth/

• https://www.thestorefront.com/mag/7-case-studies-prove-experiential-retail-future/

• https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/de/Documents/consumer-business/Study_Retail%20Operating%20Model%20of%20the%20Future.pdf

• https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/how-to-level-up-your-retail-stores-customer-service/

Pop-Up in Seaside, FL!

Our client, a classic Spanish and southern-inspired swimwear brand, is looking for excellent customer service focused sales associates to join their pop-up team in Seaside, FL! Check it out.

Make Your Pop-Up Event an Experience!

With many big retailers closing their brick-and-mortar retail locations, brands are turning to experiential pop-up events to give customers a fun experience, drive customer loyalty, and bring about new customer acquisition.

According to Storefront — a platform where you can rent retail spaces — user-friendly ecommerce shops will be crucial for the survival of brands. They also must pair it with unique, customer-centered physical stores, too. A key element to these unique stores is that they must give an amazing experience to continue to drive customer engagement. Many of these physical store locations will be in the form of an experiential pop-up shop so that retailers do not have to get tied into a long lease.

As a brand, you may be thinking “how do I create a unique retail experience that highlights our brand while standing out and driving customers?” Great news, our team at Emerging Blue put together a list of creative ideas to start your on your path of designing an experiential retail experience that customers won’t forget.

-- One of our amazing clients, Havaianas, wanted to stand out and try something new so they created an experiential experience where they sell their products our of vintage Vans near the beach. It speaks to their brand, product, and delivers a shopping experience that is unlike its competitors.

-- It also doesn't have to just sell a product, for example, our client Blondey McCoy combined retail with art to give an experience their customers would never forget. By collaborating with other local events and artists that vibe with your brand, you maximize your reach and success of the event.

--You can also combine it with a nonprofit or social cause to stand out. Our client Manduka collaborated with Susan G. Komen Foundation to host Project OM in Bryant Park and Santa Monica.

As you have read, it is important to design a unique retail experience to help drive customers back into the stores and to develop new customers. Whether it’s an experiential retail store on the beach or in the middle of a park, craft it to be true to your brand’s identity, as well as make it fun and interactive!

With the rise in experiential retail events and pop-up shops, freelance hiring is also on the rise. During the pandemic, freelance work has been crucial for many businesses and continues to be. Freelance work currently represents 36% of the current workforce, and is on the rise with the opening of new experiential stores.

Experiential retail stands out and it is critical to have the right staff to deliver that exceptional and unique experience. You definitely want to stand out compared to the kiosks found in malls, as well as have the right talent. A major part of having a successful experiential retail event / pop-up shop is to have staff that is brand appropriate to give your customers your specific, unique brand experience. Recruiting, hiring, and staffing takes times (and money), that is why many brands turn to Emerging Blue because we specialize in all things hiring so that brands can focus on their product, experiential store design, and other logistics around running a successful pop-up event.

Here at Emerging Blue we specialize in experiential retail staffing, and work with our clients and brands to make sure we find the right talent for their specific needs. We design specialized recruiting plans and leverage all of our networks to drive the best and brightest talent to our unique clients to help them achieve their goals and have successful events.

Click here to read more about our recruiting services and choose a staffing solution that works best for you!

Now Hiring: Retail Pop-up Keyholder

We are hiring for an exciting Retail Pop-up Event in Venice Beach. Come work on the beach in a hip pop-up, where the surf is king! If you are a seasoned retail sales leader, then this may be the perfect opportunity for you! Interested in the freelance Keyholder position with our awesome client in Venice Beach? Send your information and resume directly to Emerging Blue’s Talent Leader, Sally Daliege — sally@emergingblue.com and if you know a great candidate, feel free to refer them.

We are hiring in Newport Beach!

Our awesome client in Newport Beach, CA is hiring for their pop-up event. They are looking for a Keyholder and Part-time Sales Associates.

About the Keyholder role: The Keyholder is a key employee in maintaining good customer service. A Keyholder is responsible for serving customers and accurately recording all sales, as well as assisting with merchandise responsibilities, such as stocking and keeping the store neat, clean, and organized. The Keyholder supports the operation of a profitable business through successful floor supervision and is capable of opening and closing shop responsibilities. The Keyholder reports to the Store Manager.

Click here to read the Keyholder job description and to apply!

About the Part-time Retail Sales Associate role: The Sales Associate is a key employee in maintaining good customer service. A sales associate is responsible for serving customers and accurately recording all sales, as well as assisting with store responsibilities, such as restocking the sales floor and keeping the store neat, clean and organized. The Sales Associate reports to the Key Holder or Store Manager, as designated.

Click here to read the PT Retail Sales Associate job description and to apply!

Pop-Up Shops: Maximizing Your Results

We expect this pop-up season to be stronger than ever for a variety of reasons. These include companies looking to pop-up shops to help them gain extra exposure for their brand as in-store visits decline, to get rid of excess inventory that built up while their retail stores were closed, and to boost any ecommerce traffic that has grown as people turn to shopping online more and more.

Jake Anderson, CEO of Forsake an online footwear company who held a pop-up in Boston, said they were looking for more exposure in their home market and wanted the learning experience of getting to engage directly with their customers. Forsake is an ecommerce-based business and this gave them a chance to see how a retail presence could affect their brand and sales.

Lesley S., HR Director at an international toy company, said they decided to do a pop-up for additional brand exposure as well. “We’re a relatively unknown brand in this country, so the idea was to increase visibility and brand awareness on our own terms”.

Ivory Ella, a largely social and ecommerce apparel brand, used consumer data analytics to determine their "Pop Up” location in Naperville, Illinois, according to Diana Sabol, CFO.

Becoming a Success Story

Lots of things contribute to the success of a pop-up but location, marketing/events and having a strong sales team are the top three factors that can contribute to a successful in-store experience. Storefront, an online marketplace for short term retail spaces, helps brands locate ideal locations in their chosen cities and can connect the brands with vendors to help facilitate a successful pop-up.

Marketing and Events are necessary to drive traffic to your pop-up, in addition to choosing a high traffic location. All of our clients have stressed the importance of having a strong marketing plan to let the public know about their pop-up and their brand. Heidi Speranza, VP of Merchandising & Planning at Aerosoles, advises “While a pop -up is a great opportunity to feature your product and speak directly to your customers, it is also tremendous marketing tool, so plan and budget accordingly for varied marketing / digital initiatives.”   

Building a strong sales team is also key to turning your pop-up into a success story. The team at Forsake found there is a need for a store manager: one person whose sole job is being responsible for the ultimate success/failure of the store. This person can come from inside your organization or can be someone you hire just for the duration of the pop-up. Lesley agreed that having a store manager was crucial, suggesting that companies “pay shop managers as much as you can afford to and set expectations in the beginning for their role.  Let them know what kind of issues they should handle on their own without your involvement, how and what they should communicate with you, and what their authority and decision-making latitude is so that you’re not getting calls every two seconds for something they should be handling, but they also aren’t going rogue with their employees.”

Hiring the right candidates for the sales team can be tricky, as most are short term positions and you’ll need to train the team on your product and brand story. Lesley said “she didn’t realize there would be so many issues recruiting and retaining employees even if we paid at a level above usual retail stores.”  Hiring a staffing firm can take this concern off the table for you.

We worked with Aerosoles on a very successful pop-up shop for their brand and Sperenza said “Emerging Blue was invaluable in this process. It was a priority for us to have the right brand ambassadors representing the Aerosoles brand.  Emerging Blue provided quality candidates for us to work with, along with the systems to manage the payroll process which was essential.  The team embraced the product knowledge we offered to ensure they were confident in speaking to the customers, and the customer service they offered was impeccable. They were reliable and really excited to be part of our pop-up experience.”

Unexpected Challenges

Often a brand will kick off a pop-up and then quickly run into issues that can derail sales or cause problems they didn’t anticipate in their planning.

Some of the top issues stem from the same things we listed in our previous section – location, marketing and the sales team. For Anderson, he said they “underestimated just how important events are to driving your own store traffic and sales”. They were able to quickly adapt and create events that consistently drew crowds to increase their sales. Location can also play a role here – having a store in a high traffic area can ensure that your pop-up is never empty of customers.

Finding a strong sales team in a city outside of your normal market can also create challenges. For Sabol, having a recruiting team work with them was “a huge time saver, helpful in a market we wouldn’t have the knowledge base to hire” and enabled them to “have reliable, highly trained people work our Pop up store”.

Other brands have found issues relating to selling their product in a pop-up. Think about how and when your product is used and schedule your pop-up accordingly. For example, a swimwear company will have more success in the summer months and if your product is too large to carry, be sure to offer drop shipping to increase sales. Sperenza says “we found ourselves needing to flow product more often than initially planned because of the multiple repeat visits by our customers, who wanted to see new product, and try and buy more frequently!” A good problem to have!

Final Words

Pop-ups can be an amazing way to get more exposure for your brand and help you to sell more products without the commitment of a permanent retail location in this unprecedented environment, especially if you can find a location with outdoor space. As the pandemic continues to keep retail doors closed and drive consumers online, pop-ups can help brands strengthen relationships with their customers and find new ones in the process.

Questions on how to get started with a pop-up? Feel free to reach out to us here. Check out our additional tips on pop-up’s.

Pop-Up Shops - A New Retail Reality

Emerging Blue, Pop-Up Shop Staffing

Opening a pop-up shop right now is a great idea and here’s why.

As we emerge from lockdown, people have been missing the ability to touch and feel product and to interact with brands in-person.  This is where pop-up shops come in.  They provide an opportunity to craft a shop that allows for safe shopping and social distancing.  Let’s face it, these are our two realities right now.

Given months of shutdown, we find that stores have excess inventory, and many have locations that have limited in-store shopping ability.   Opening a Pop-Up shop would bring products to the consumer in a way that fits the new retail reality.

With the pandemic creating an economic whirlwind, and with many retail storefront vacancies to choose from, it is an opportune time to have a brick-and-mortar, short-term presence.   Whether an outdoor shopping center, a kiosk, or a free-standing boutique, companies are likely to find a perfect fit for a pop-up location. We recommend checking out Storefront for a list of incredible retail locations.

Planning a safe and successful pop-up includes hiring and training a staff that is sensitive to both. Our team has been working with independently owned retailers and national brands to launch pop-ups this summer. We are actively supporting our clients with in-depth staff training on safe customer interactions for each pop-up.  

Sure, this new retail reality has been tricky, but having a plan, training the team, and doing it right is the key to pop-up shop success.  Now is the time to start planning.  

*Emerging Blue, supports retail clients across the US by sourcing, hiring, and training staff who are a match for each brand while handling all payroll and human resource processes. To engage our team to staff your pop-up reach out here or at info@emergingblue.com.

Suggestions before Reopening the Workplace from our EB Crew

Conversations regarding reopening the workplace are occurring daily, so here are some action items we suggest for the next coming weeks.

Take time to review all organizational charts and update all job descriptions

With the changes that occurred in staffing, org charts will need to be updated and communicated out. Additionally, update all job descriptions including new departmental responsibilities. Document any new processes and update vendors as needed, using the opportunity to receive their updates as well.

Consider benefits additions to help the transition

Many companies are offering transit vouchers and child-care reimbursements during the return phase to the norm. Any equipment needed to #wfh and cell phone reimbursement is also a great way to ensure employees of your commitment. Reexamine Sick Days policies and any PTO perks that can help the team.

Define and communicate updated expectations and goals

Post updated expectations and goals reflecting the changes in the economic climate, org chart shifts, and updated job descriptions. Bring corporate calendars up to date while considering the competitive landscape. And, embrace #inthistogether approach to welcoming the routine -)

Need help? Knock on our door info@emergingblue.com to hear more about our services.

When Should you Start Planning for your Holiday Pop-up Shop? Today.

Yes, we know its summer and most people aren’t even thinking about the holidays yet…but you should be if you want to have a successful pop-up shop. There’s lot to think about and plan for so we put together a list of 5 things you can do now to ensure your pop-up is a smashing success this winter.

1. Budget. This should be first on your list, as it will help you to put together all of the below items!

2. Location. Pop-up shops have become increasingly popular and the holidays are an especially fashionable time to have one. Given this, desirable spaces can become limited. Our friends at Storefront (www.thestorefront.com) are a great resource to find the perfect location for what you need.

3. Merchandise. Curate the collection of items that you will showcase in the pop-up, keeping in mind climate appropriate items, i.e. warm weather products in the south.

4. Marketing. Decide how to best broadcast your pop-up to your customer base. Consider a combination of in store marketing, social media, signage and influencer outreach. You could also run a promotion to help convert online traffic to in store traffic.

5. Staffing. Pop-ups require candidates who are aligned with your brand philosophy, reliable, retail focused and customer service oriented. Think about your goal and vision for the pop-up and be sure to choose candidates that can bring that to life. We recommend over hiring & training the staff to be ready for whatever the pop-up throws at you.

We hope this helps to jump start your preparation for your holiday pop-up shop and as always, we are here to help with any staffing needs. We’ve already started working with some of our brand partners to get ready for their holiday pop-up and we’d love to do the same for your company!

Macy's & Story

We're proud to have staffed the new Macy's retail concept, STORY, at locations across the country. Congratulations Macy’s for a successful launch!

Read all about it.

Top 3 Things We Learned from the Holiday Pop-up Season

What a wonderful Holiday season! It helped drive retail sales for many companies. According to Mastercard, total US retail sales rose 5.1% between November 1 and December 24 from the prior year. As you were out shopping, you probably noticed at least one pop-up shop. They have become more and more popular as they give a fresh twist to the former all brick and mortar retail environment. In addition to an influx in commerce, retail hiring rose this past Holiday season as well. According to the Labor Department, 312,000 jobs were added in December 2018. That number includes many seasonal retail jobs.

Since the holidays have come to a close, we want to take a few moments to step back… give out some high fives, and reflect on what we learned by staffing a record number of pop-ups across the country. 

The top three trends we saw for a successful pop-up this season:

Plan out staffing needs. We cannot stress enough how important it is to hire, at least, 25% more staff than you think you are going to need. Life can be busy around the holidays and this applies to the staff you hire. Plan for additional staff to cover increased business or any ‘holiday attrition’. To keep your team engaged and committed to your pop-up, plan to pay and train them well.  Development of a well-trained and informed team will make the short-term sales associates feel like they are part of your brand.

Create a lasting relationship with your customers. Channel all of your resources to find ways to continue the retail momentum you’ve built by leveraging in-person interactions, digital or social media, and to extend the brand experience beyond the event. You’ve gotten them excited about your brand and now you need to stay top of mind for their future retail purchases. One example is to interact with customers on Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook so you can stay connected after the pop-up shop closes.

Have an end game. Plan out how the pop-up shop will close and make your staff aware of your plans. Will you need them to work after the shop closes to wrap everything up? Are they good candidates for working any permanent retail locations you have? Consider offering a bonus for working through the entire pop-up or consider those candidates for future full-time positions with your company.   Either way, your end game, is as important as your roll-out plan.  Execute both and your pop-up will likely be a success.

To sum it up, it is critical to develop a thorough and practical staffing plan, create a lasting relationship with your clients, and have a long-term game plan. Mapping out those three key areas will have you on the right path to a highly successful pop-up event. As always, if you need support, our team at Emerging Blue would gladly connect you with the best pop-up event staff.

About Emerging Blue:

Emerging Blue is a creative recruitment agency that represents full-time and freelance talent in Fashion, Home and Beauty. We fill jobs from San Francisco to New York, and everywhere in-between. We represent top candidates, the hottest brands and innovative companies of all shapes and sizes. If you need recruitment and hiring support, we would love to support you. We fill jobs from Visual Merchandisers and Keyholders to Luxury Retail Store Managers and Sales Associates. Our talent is your strength.

Top Five Staffing Tips for Pop-up Shops

As the retail landscape changes and evolves, pop-up shops are quickly becoming a great way for a brand to get consumers to touch, feel, and try on their products… without having to make the commitment to a permanent retail space.   Many landlords, commercial real estate firms and companies, like Storefront (storefront.com), can help find the perfect location.

Whether you are looking to showcase a new line, engage with your customers or generate brand awareness, hiring the right people to work your pop-up shop can be as important as your product and your location.  Maximizing the customer interaction with your brand and hiring the right temporary employees is often the key to success.  

At Emerging Blue, our pop-up clients have benefited from our “Top Five” list of things to keep in mind when staffing the perfect pop-up shop.

1.  Hire like your Brand depends on it – Your employees and staff are your brand. As pop-up shops are becoming more and more popular, it’s important to hire employees that can take customers through the full brand experience.  From greeting them to establishing a connection to the product, it is key to hire Brand Ambassadors that are friendly, eager, enthusiastic and approachable.

2.  Over hire – Life happens, and employees sometimes do not show up. For a successful pop-up, make sure you are covered for the unexpected. We always recommend that our clients hire and train at least 20% more people than they think they will need.

3.  Train, Train, Train – We suggest providing your Managers, Sales Associates and Brand Ambassadors with training materials and an in-person training session that covers your brand story, products and store technology.  A staff that understands these, will make sure everything runs smoothly once the shop opens.  

4.  Plan Ahead – We cannot stress this enough. Allow enough time to source, hire and train great employees.  Plan for your projected volume, hours, product training and internal systems.  Devising a plan to have the proper sized staff to maximize sales will set you and your team up for success.

5. Agency Partners – Find a staffing agency partner that can help you with the points above.  It is beneficial to use an agency to manage your hiring needs, if you do not have enough bandwidth to do so.  Agencies will source, hire and take care of new hire and payroll needs for your pop-up shop employees. This allows you to focus on the execution of your event and not focus on details like payroll, workers compensation, taxes, and other additional HR expenses for your pop-up shop staff.

In summary, with the growth of pop-up shops, it is key to understand what makes a pop-up shop effective, as well as how to attract the right talent to work the event. A few takeaways to remember, make sure you hire staff that represents your brand well. Additionally, staff must be friendly, energetic, approachable, and a fit for the brand; this will also help to drive traffic and overall sales. For the staff to be successful, make sure they are well trained and fully understand their job duties. Most importantly, hiring enough staff will make a positive impact on the event, so make sure to over hire and have a plan for when people call out and for any unexpected emergencies that may occur. Lastly, finding reliable and top talent can be a challenge, so to save time and money, reach out to a staffing agency, like Emerging Blue, to support your hiring efforts so that you can focus all your attention to bringing your vision to reality.

* To engage Emerging Blue to help with pop-up staffing, contact us at 415-543-6636 or www.emergingblue.com