Merchandise Manager - Covent Garden, London - New Opening!

• Merchandise Manager - Covent Garden, London - New Opening! * Blue Note, one of the world's most celebrated live music venues, is opening its first London home in Covent Garden. This is a rare opportunity to join the opening team and help shape the culture, standards and guest experience of one of London's most anticipated hospitality venues. *Summary* The Merchandise Manager develops and implements the merchandising strategy for Blue Note London, covering branded venue retail, artist and band merchandise, and the online shop.

This role oversees the promotion and sale of products across nightly shows and private events, and shapes the product range to meet or exceed financial targets.

You will ensure an exceptional guest experience by managing and coordinating the merchandise team, working cross-functionally to drive results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Success is reflected in superior customer experiences, strong team engagement and development, and the attainment of business objectives. *Key Responsibilities* *Retail, Product & Merchandising* * Manage product stock control * Handle all aspects of purchasing and ordering * Develop new products to sell * Conduct sales analysis * Oversee all aspects of merchandising for Blue Note London, including the venue’s retail offer and artist / band merchandise * Continuously assess and enhance content and merchandising strategies to drive ongoing improvement * Lead and direct the merchandise team, manage product and supply lines, monitor stock levels, and curate product assortments tailored to the venue * Establish and enforce operational procedures to ensure consistency in employee and guest experiences across all merchandise operations * Innovate and implement new strategies, programmes, technologies, and products to achieve merchandising objectives * Design and execute product presentations, manage promotions, and coordinate merchandise displays * Develop and maintain the online shop, ensuring an engaging and user-friendly experience * Arrange in-venue displays, organise product giveaways, and offer special discounts to attract and retain customers * Formulate improvement plans, generate monthly reports, and conduct research for effective product implementation * Assist with pricing strategies, budgeting, and the creation of profit and loss accounts * Use marketplace data and consumer insights to align products with market needs * Collaborate with guests and internal departments to gain insights and identify new opportunities * Apply trend forecasts and inform product development using market insight and brand objectives *Artist Merchandise* * Act as the on-site point of contact for touring artists and their teams on all merchandise matters, coordinating details ahead of each show * Collect each artist’s merchandise details in advance and set up their items in the venue’s point-of-sale and e-commerce system before the artist’s arrival, including clothing with multiple sizes and variants * Ensure all artist merchandise is entered accurately and under the correct artist name ahead of every performance * Receive, count, and reconcile artist merchandise in and out, keeping accurate records for each show * Manage settlement of artist merchandise sales, including any agreed venue commission or splits, and provide accurate post-show reporting * Coordinate the return and collection of unsold merchandise and any shipments left on-site, liaising with artists’ label and management teams * Maintain a master tracking sheet of upcoming artists, dates, and merchandise requirements so the team can prepare in advance *Skills, Knowledge & Abilities* * Strong leadership skills, while remaining a team player * Proven success managing budgets and resource allocation * Strategic thinker who recognises opportunities and can influence decision-makers to move to execution * Strong verbal and written communication * Ability to multitask and problem-solve * Understanding of current market trends and buying psychology * Creativity and strong product sense, with proven experience driving product assortments and partnering with design to conceive product concepts that drive business * Excels in a fast-paced environment * Strong problem-solving, interpersonal, and organisational skills * High level of analytical skill and conceptual creative ability * Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills * Able to present a professional, informative product and trend assortment to audiences inside and outside the organisation * Knowledge of the product development process and brand management * Proficient in retail maths, best-seller analysis, and competitive landscape analysis * Effective people management skills *Experience* * Retail management : 2 years (required) * Online merchandising : 1 year (required) *Salary & Benefits* * Salary : £40,000 annually * Staff discount * Annual leave (paid holiday) * Full-time position * Location : In person, Covent Garden, London *Schedule* Full-time, including evenings and weekends as required by the venue’s show and event schedule.