Retail Store Manager

Location: Feste Flagship, SoHo, New York

Reports To: CEO & Founder

Schedule: Full-TimeABOUT FESTEA neighborhood essential since 2021, Feste is the home and gifting destination in the heart of SoHo. Elevated decor, one-of-a-kind gifts, entertaining essentials, luxe stationery, hand-picked tableware, pantry favorites, hand-tied seasonal florals, and antiques gathered on our explorations across the country. Nearly everything on our shelves comes from small, independent makers who take pride in their craft. We wrap every gift like it matters, because it does. Feste is part of Festive & Co, a family of retail and hospitality concepts that includes Champers Social Club, led by husband-and-wife team Brenna Gilbert and Andrew McCaughan. Our leadership brings decades of experience from LVMH, Anthropologie, URBN, USHG, and Shake Shack, and the shop has been featured in Vogue, ELLE Decor, Martha Stewart Living, domino, and New York Magazine. But what we're proudest of is simpler: people come back. Hosting, gifting, or indulging yourself, Feste is a whimsical playspace built to spark imagination and create joy. No occasion necessary.

THE ROLE: We're looking for a guest-obsessed leader to run the floor and lead the sales team at our Feste flagship as we grow. The Store Manager is a trusted partner to the leadership team and the day-to-day leader for every Feste team member, owning sales, retail operations, payroll, scheduling, and training, and always looking for the next way to grow the team and create memorable moments of hospitality. Your first priority: lead the day from the sales floor. You’ll build a strong, well-trained team through hands-on coaching, a clear plan for every shift, and genuine warmth. You’ll oversee the Assistant Store Manager, who focuses on selling, clienteling, and the guest experience, and you’ll lead our seasonal holiday pop-up space alongside the flagship. This is a hands-on, floor-first role. Most of your time is spent on the sales floor: running the morning meeting, driving sales, coaching and training the team in the moment, and taking care of our guests. Payroll, scheduling, and planning support that work but never replace your time on the floor. You’ll work an active retail management schedule, including nights, weekends, and key holidays. The role is based at our flagship, and as we grow, every leader should expect to work across locations as the schedule requires.

WHAT YOU’LL DO: Guest Experience

• Floor Leadership: Lead the day from the sales floor: be visible through peak hours, set the pace, drive sales, and step in wherever guests need you.
• Hospitality Culture: Lead by example with extraordinary service. Use KPIs to set team goals, reinforce a culture of service and selling, and motivate the team to build lasting guest relationships.
• Omnichannel Service: Teach the team to deliver a frictionless experience across the shop and online: transacting in the moment, upselling, and clienteling. Oversee the Assistant Store Manager in managing the brand inbox, VIP follow-up, and the systems that track cross-shopping and guest notes.
• The Feste Experience: Give associates the tools to deliver an elevated, individualized shopping experience built on real connection. Develop relationships with guests, regulars, and neighboring businesses through outreach and clienteling.
• Service Standards: Own the training, development, and accountability behind the guest experience, building a culture that puts authentic hospitality, service, and sales first.
• Clienteling & Loyalty: Set the direction for Feste’s clienteling and loyalty program and hold the team accountable to it, partnering with the Assistant Store Manager, who leads day-to-day clienteling and relationship selling.
• Community Connection: Partner with leadership to curate events and experiences that reflect the interests of our guests and neighborhood. Network with local businesses and organizations to uncover opportunities for community engagement and in-store events. Leadership & Team
• Talent: Partner with leadership to identify and onboard talent who bring fresh perspectives and experience. Interview regularly to build a proactive talent pipeline, and invest in engagement to retain a diverse team and fuel internal growth.
• Assistant Store Manager: Directly manage, coach, and develop the Assistant Store Manager. Set clear goals for selling and the guest experience, and prepare them to lead the store in your absence.
• Training & Development: Own onboarding and training for every Feste team member, with hands-on coaching on the floor in product, service, and selling, from a new hire’s first day onward. Champion development through recognition and team building, be a proactive mentor and problem solver, and make sure key company information reaches every level of the team.
• Scheduling: Own the team schedule, building it around sales forecasts and the needs of the business. Set clear expectations while balancing availability, time-off requests, and skill sets to keep staffing right across the flagship and pop-up.
• Morning Meetings: Lead the daily morning meeting on sales goals, service focus, new arrivals, and store priorities, and keep touchpoints going all day.
• Goals & Expectations: Set individual sales goals and selling expectations that build a collaborative selling environment.
• Insights & Feedback: Bring guest and team insights back to the leadership team. Business Operations
• Business Acumen: Use reporting tools to find opportunities in product placement, merchandising, and stock levels, and make strategic, creative decisions that move the business.
• Performance: Plan, monitor, and analyze daily store performance to keep the team on track. Report on key retail KPIs in the weekly sales meeting, and assess and pivot where needed to hit targets.
• Planning: Partner with leadership on daily, weekly, and monthly operations, adjusting forecasts and staffing as the business requires.
• Payroll: Own payroll for the Feste team: review and approve timecards, manage labor and overtime against budget, and submit payroll accurately and on time.
• Store Operations: Take an active role in openings and closings, steps of service, restock, standards, cleanliness, IT and facilities issues, and loss prevention.
• Visual Partnership: Partner with the Visual Lead to execute visual merchandising and display priorities on time and to standard.
• Receiving & Operations: Partner with the Receiving Manager on store operations, including prioritizing shipments, inventory accuracy, and keeping product moving efficiently to the floor in service of sales and the guest experience.
• Holiday Pop-Up: Oversee our holiday pop-up space, from setup, staffing, and training through daily operations, sales performance, and breakdown, keeping the Feste experience consistent across both locations. WHAT YOU BRING
• 5+ years of retail leadership experience, including a deep understanding of high-volume retail
• Strong merchant instincts and a track record of delivering financial results
• A proven record of developing great talent
• Comfort leading through change, with strong written and verbal communication and quick follow-through
• Flexibility to work nights, weekends, and holidays as the store requiresWHAT WE OFFER
• Salary range: $85000-92000 based on experience
• 401(k), with eligibility to enroll immediately
• Pre-tax stipend toward personal health insurance after 90 days
• Team dining discount at Champers and team discount at FesteJOIN THE TEAMHospitality is the whole job here. We look for people who notice the details, love making someone's day, and want to build something special with us as Feste grows into new neighborhoods. If that sounds like you, we'd love to meet.