Furniture Group Leader

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one
of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses
headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating
divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare;
employing more than ‎35,000 employees across more than ‎20 countries in the
Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over ‎200 of the
world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group's
entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to
continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers
within the societies in which we operate.
By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity;
Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our
customers each and every day

Location : IKEA, Jebel Ali

Overview of the role
To achieve an enjoyable, convenient and successful shopping and buying
experience that leads to increased sales and sustained long-term
profitability. To create satisfied customers in an efficient and effective way
by using all media and sales channels available in order to attract and
encourage more customers to visit more often and buy more. This is achieved by
optimising the sales priorities using commercial activities and securing the
right forecasts for the total IKEA offer. The main responsibilities are to
ensure satisfied customers, develop and execute sales steering and selling the
IKEA way.

What you will do
OPERATIONS
* Optimise the IKEA shopping experience in your shop and store to secure satisfied customers and increase sales. You do this by motivating and inspiring your department team using knowledge of the IKEA product range and services, the local market and IKEA customers.
* Optimise sales and profitability of the department through following up, conducting analyses and taking actions.
* Define the range in your sales area of Showroom and Markethall to be sold by all stores and together with shopkeepers you drive the process of selecting the suppliers and managing all the contracts in order to achieve economies of scale in the purchasing by generating large volumes
* Enhance the competitive strength of the IKEA product range by ensuring the implementation of all range issues related to systems and methods stated in IKEA Concept Documentation and by keeping yourself updated about the local market conditions
* Strive to reach the IKEA positioning objectives and use IKEA tools and the expertise of your team and colleagues to support you.
* To steer the performance in your area operations towards maximized sales and optimised long-term:
* To act as a highly efficient, and staffed sales mechanism
* To show home furnishing solutions full of inspiring home furnishing ideas
* To serve as a well-qualified home furnishing specialist
* To provide a day out for the whole family.
* Applying sales methods in accordance with the Sales and Range the IKEA way manual
* Stay in contact with IKEA of Sweden and the distributor to select, price, phase in and phase out the range for your market
* Perform all range administration in the sales IT-system for products belonging to your Business Area
* Work closely with the Logistics team to secure that the sales forecasts are adapted to the sales patterns in order to achieve an optimal goods flow
* Choose products of the IKEA Extra range in accordance with the Choosing from the IKEA product range manual
* Set prices on the IKEA range and you work closely with the shopkeepers in the stores to continuously track competitors' price levels in order to secure the IKEA low-price leadership. In this work, you use systems and methods described in the IKEA genuinely low prices manual and Setting prices the IKEA way manual
* Make sales budgets for the IKEA range in your Business Area

COMMERCIAL
* Together with his colleagues and managers, they contribute actively in the development and implementation of a clear IKEA Sales & Range action plan for the store using the store business plan and country business plan. These are supported by input from Growing IKEA together and the IKEA Sales Direction & Strategy. Develop and execute an annual action plan for his area based on agreed goals.
* Stay in weekly contact and support the shopkeepers in the stores
* Choose products from the IKEA Extra range in accordance with the Choosing from the IKEA product range manual
* Select and ensure availability of products for all the marketing activities in the commercial calendar, in close partnership with the Logistics department
* Support the stores by producing buying guides for complex product series
* Maintain ongoing communication with the IKEA range distributor regarding all issues related to the range and the annual IKEA range cycle
* Ensure the shop is in excellent shape as new and fully and efficiently stocked with the four merchandising basics in place at all times and that the IKEA product range is presented in ways that inspire and satisfy customers.
* Coordinate all issues with regard to the IKEA range between the stores and the central retail management and between the central retail management and the IKEA distributor
* Maintain in-depth knowledge of the local home furnishings market (e.g. customers, trends and competitors)
* Ensure that systems and methods stated in IKEA Concept Documentation are implemented in regard to your areas of responsibility
* Maintain in-depth knowledge of the local home furnishings market (e.g. customers, trends and competitors)
* Passionate about his products and actively learn about their content, origins and other benefits. Share this knowledge with his guests and colleagues.
* Ensure to know the top-selling products, ‎3 Aces and ‎1 King, and that they are available and clearly communicated and displayed at all times. To promote alternative products when these are unavailable.
* Contribute to the planning, execution and follow-up of the store's commercial calendars
* Understand the different IKEA sales and communication channels and IKEA know-how in order to make the best commercial use of this information for different customers.
* Take responsibility for your department goals and secure that your action plan ensures the country priorities for your Home Furnishing Business (HFB) are implemented in your store. You follow up and take action accordingly by using proven solutions and good examples.
* You act quickly on commercial opportunities; changing availability of products (overstock and out of stock) and customer feedback (‎10 most asked questions).
* You keep an active eye on the competition and take appropriate action when necessary which you communicate to your matrix partner in the Service Office.

PEOPLE
* Your leadership is based on performing and delivering while learning and developing.
* Committed to the development of Sales team and secure their training to ensure all co-workers understand the IKEA Concept and other key guidelines, and how they have an impact on their specific roles.
* Ensure you have the right number of competent co-workers in the right place at the right time and securing that they are fully able and available to serve customers and actively help them to buy.
* You and your team actively sales steer to your department's top-selling products, prioritised products (e.g. overstock/overtag) and IKEA service products in order to maximise sales and long-term profitability.
* Empower, support and coach Sales co-workers on the job to help them perform better and grow.
* Work actively to create an environment where the IKEA culture is a strong and living reality, and diversity is valued, to ensure the IKEA store is regarded as a great place to work.
* Ensure your team has all the correct knowledge about the product range in your department and the IKEA services so that they can share this with IKEA customers to improve their overall shopping experience.
* You develop your team and its individual members and ensure you have a succession in place.
* You actively promote the IKEA social and environmental commitment and work with your team to understand how, together, you can contribute to sustainability.

Required skills to be successful
* Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
* Must be able to build working relationships
* Must be able to speak and understand English
* Must be computer literate
* Ability to lead business through people by demonstrating high leadership capabilities.
* Ability to make things happen by championing flexibility, speed and simplicity.
* A considered decision-maker.
* Your leadership is based on performing and delivering while learning and developing

What equips you for the role
* Must have a minimum ‎2-‎5 years retail experience
* Must have strategic, analytical and tactical abilities
* Knowledge of home furnishings
* Knowledge of IKEA range and strong mathematical skills to be able to perform the gross margin calculations

About Al-Futtaim Retail
Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail
across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past ‎30 years. We have
developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in
the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex
Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of
the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer's in both regions with over
‎75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East
for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to
continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further
development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from
all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse
workforce which includes over ‎100 nationalities across ‎12 countries. Join us
today and make a difference…