Country Retail Business Manager

Country Retail Business Manager

Job Provider: BDI

Department: Commercial

Reporting to: Senior Country Retail Business Manager

Direct Reports: Store Managers

Key Stakeholders: Group Retail Business Managers, Group Marketing Manager, Group Visual Merchandiser

Work location: Malta

Territory Responsibility: Country

Hudson Group is an international retailer and distributor primarily involved in the sport and fashion wear sectors. The Group’s head office is in Malta but is also present through offices in Italy, Cyprus, Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya and Algeria.

Though Hudson Holdings was founded in 2006, the Group’s roots reach as far back as 1987 when the first pair of NIKE was sold in Malta.

Role purpose

The Country Retail Business Manager collaboratively builds and implements strategies that grow market share and strengthen the brand’s reputation in-country. The role drives sustainable growth through retail excellence, improved customer experience, and strong operational execution, while acting as a key link between store teams, country leadership, and group functions.

The key duties and responsibilities of the role are as follows:

Strategy & Market Analysis

• Accountable for managing Store Managers to optimise daily store operations, ensuring full compliance with Retail and Brand operating standards.
• Support Group Retail Business Managers by collating market trends to help define sales objectives.
• Attend bi-weekly trade calls, providing concise reporting on store productivity and cascading agreed action points for improvement.
• Provide regular feedback to brands on productivity, current practices, and proposed improvements.
• Ensure customer feedback is consistently captured and shared with Group Retail Business Managers.
• Conduct regular store visits in collaboration with Senior Country and Group Retail Business Managers and in-season traders, providing structured findings to Group teams.

Commercial & Brand Coordination

• Ensure Store Managers are aware of and prepared for brand store visits.
• Adhere to brand and banner guidelines as cascaded by Group and Brand teams.
• Ensure consistent execution of operating standards in line with brand guidelines and company policies.
• Drive awareness and delivery of targeted KPIs, including Sales, UPT, and Conversion rates.

Product Management

• Collaborate with the Senior Country Retail Business Manager and Store Managers to communicate feedback on customer buying trends and missed opportunities to Brand teams.
• Provide input on pricing strategy, promotions, and discount activity.
• Consult and provide feedback on inventory management and stock optimisation.

Budget Management

• Provide input into store budgets, including sales targets, payroll, and operational costs.
• Ensure adherence to approved budgets and cost controls at store level.

Team & Performance Management

• Implement and follow up on action plans arising from mystery shopper reports, communicating outcomes to Banner teams.
• Identify training needs for direct reports and deliver training on service standards, customer experience, and operational excellence.
• Collaborate in the recruitment, coaching, and ongoing development of Store Managers, in line with approved headcount.
• Approve store rosters and timesheets, ensuring compliance and that annual leave is fully utilised by year end.
• Ensure VM guidelines cascaded by Brand and Visual Merchandising teams are fully implemented on the shop floor.
• Carry out performance management processes for direct reports.

Customer Care

• Uphold and continuously improve customer service standards across all stores.

Health & Safety

• Ensure maintenance and security issues raised by stores are addressed promptly, in collaboration with the Health & Safety Manager and Maintenance department.

How you will be measured

Business Targets

• Sales performance and control of direct store expenditure, including manning and consumables.
• Achievement of Retail KPIs, including Sales, UPT, and Conversion rates.
• Stock loss maintained in line with the company-defined allowance.

Team Performance and Development

• Bi-annual performance check-ins to review progress against objectives and redirect focus where needed.
• Identification of training and development needs, with defined development plans in collaboration with HR.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Effective collaboration with Group and Country Retail Business Managers to ensure brand and banner strategies are executed locally.
• Customer satisfaction, measured through mystery shopping results and NPS scores.
• Timely delivery and execution of visual merchandising materials, in collaboration with the Group Visual Merchandiser.
• Oversight of in-country marketing execution, aligned with plans agreed with the Group Marketing Manager.

Core competencies, knowledge, and experience

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in retail operations management or multi-site operational roles.
• Strategic planning capability with strong collaboration and highly effective communication skills.

• Solid financial acumen supported by analytical thinking and structured problem-solving.
• Demonstrated leadership capability in managing teams and driving performance.
• Proven experience managing store support processes, including staffing, inventory, and customer care.
• Ability to implement and optimise operational tools and automation.
• Strong knowledge of operational standards, compliance requirements, and retail systems.
• Experience supporting store openings, relocations, and operational logistics.
• Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage.