Store Manager - Chicago in Oak Brook, Illinois at VARLEY CLOTHING LIMITED

About Varley Clothing

Varley is a contemporary fashion brand for the modern woman. Founded in 2015 by husband-and-wife Lara and Ben Mead, we are an international, family-run business headquartered between London, Los Angeles, and New York.

We create year-round collections designed to build an elevated wardrobe for how women live and move. From knitwear and outerwear to everyday staples and active pieces, our collections blend style, function, and versatility.

Varley exists to instil quiet confidence through meaningful connections that enhance everything women already are. As women’s lives evolve, so do we.

Our international family-run team is 85% female, making us proud to be a brand for women, by women. We are guided by two core beliefs: the pursuit of quality in everything we do and looking after one another.

Role Overview

The Store Manager is a strategic leader and brand ambassador responsible for delivering commercial success while cultivating an exceptional customer and team experience.

This role combines strong commercial awareness, thoughtful leadership, and operational excellence. The Store Manager leads by example, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and positivity within the store. They are responsible for developing a high-performing team, anticipating business needs, and ensuring that both customers and employees experience the brand at its best.

Through forward planning, data-driven decision making, and effective people management, the Store Manager ensures the store operates efficiently, meets performance targets, and consistently reflects the brand’s values and standards. As a key-holder, the Store Manager also holds responsibility for the secure opening and closing of the store, safeguarding company assets, and ensuring operational and safety procedures are upheld at all times.

The Store Manager operates as the senior leader within the store, taking ownership of its performance, culture, and customer experience while working in close partnership with central retail teams to successfully deliver brand strategy at store level.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Management

The Store Manager shapes the culture of the store through strong leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to developing people.

Responsibilities include:

Leading by example in professionalism, attitude, and presentation.Cultivating a positive, respectful, and inclusive store culture where individuals feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed.Embedding the brand’s values in daily behaviours, ensuring kindness, collaboration, and mutual respect are reflected in both team and customer interactions.Developing a high-performing team through coaching, mentorship, and structured performance development.Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining talent while identifying future leaders and development pathways.Conducting regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews.Setting clear expectations for service standards, behaviours, and performance.Addressing performance concerns constructively and implementing performance improvement plans when required, in partnership with HR.Maintaining a strong leadership presence on the shop floor, particularly during key trading periods, supporting the team and leading by example.

Communication & Team Alignment

The Store Manager ensures the team remains informed, motivated, and aligned with store priorities and company initiatives, fostering a clear and consistent flow of communication.

Responsibilities include:

Leading daily team briefings to communicate targets, priorities, promotions, and key operational updates.Lead by example in the utilisation of company tools and applications that enable your team to stay informed, ensuring readership and task execution is completed.Ensuring team members understand their individual responsibilities and how their contributions support wider business objectives.Promoting a safe and supportive environment where feedback and ideas are welcomed, encouraging open dialogue and collaboration within the team.Translating company initiatives and strategic priorities into clear, actionable plans.Escalating operational, commercial, or people-related matters to senior leadership when appropriate.Acting as a key communication link between the shop floor and the wider business, ensuring insights and feedback are shared effectively.Demonstrating strong brand, product, and operational expertise by staying up to date with new launches, industry trends, and brand storytelling.

Commercial Performance & Business Management

The Store Manager drives the commercial success of the store through proactive planning, analysis, and leadership.

Responsibilities include:

Driving the achievement of store KPIs including sales, conversion, average transaction value, and productivity.Analysing daily, weekly, and monthly sales reports to identify opportunities and trading trends.Translating commercial insights into actionable strategies that improve performance.Monitoring product performance and maximising selling opportunities.Optimising labour investment by aligning staffing levels with payroll budgets and trading patterns.Preparing clear performance updates and insights for senior leadership.

Customer & Brand Experience

The Store Manager champions a service-first culture that strengthens customer relationships and reinforces the brand experience.

Responsibilities include:

Elevating service standards through coaching and leadership on the shop floor.Building strong relationships with customers and encouraging effective clienteling practices.Leveraging CRM tools and clienteling platforms to personalise customer engagement.Resolving customer concerns or complaints quickly and professionally.Supporting the delivery of in-store events, brand activations, and community engagement initiatives.

Training & Development

The Store Manager plays a key role in developing talent and building capability within the team.

Responsibilities include:

Delivering structured onboarding experiences for new starters.Providing regular coaching and development feedback.Supporting product knowledge and service training initiatives.Encouraging cross-training to strengthen operational flexibility.Identifying and developing future leaders within the team.

Operations & Store Standards

Operational excellence ensures the store runs efficiently and reflects the highest brand standards.

Responsibilities include:

Ensuring operational processes and company policies are consistently followed.Maintaining compliance with employment practices, health & safety regulations, and data protection standards.Managing scheduling and workforce planning to support trading needs.Ensuring accurate use of POS systems and retail technology.Maintaining a clean, organised, and visually appealing store environment.Balancing administrative tasks while maintaining strong leadership presence on the shop floor.

Product & Visual Merchandising

The Store Manager collaborates with the Visual Merchandising Manager (VMM) to ensure visual merchandising guidelines and seasonal brand direction are implemented effectively.

Responsibilities include:

Ensuring strong product knowledge across the team.Supporting the execution of product launches and promotional displays.Monitoring product performance and identifying opportunities to improve sell-through.Maintaining high visual standards that align with brand

Stock Management & Loss Prevention

Strong stock management supports both operational efficiency and commercial performance.

Responsibilities include:

Overseeing deliveries, transfers, and stock returns.Maintaining accurate inventory control procedures.Investigating stock discrepancies and implementing corrective actions.Supporting company loss prevention initiatives iLead the back of house team to maintain an organised and efficient stockroom that supports the sales floor capability and contributes to high store productivity.

Health & Safety

The Store Manager ensures a safe environment for both employees and customers.

Responsibilities include:

Ensuring health and safety policies are followed consistently.Conducting regular safety checks and risk assessments.Promoting safe working practices across the team.Reporting incidents according to company procedures.Maintaining safe shop floor and stockroom conditions.

Skills and Competencies

Key Skills & Experience

Minimum 3 years’ experience in a retail management role.Proven ability to lead and inspire high-performing teams, promoting a safe environment where feedback and ideas are welcomed.Strong commercial and analytical skills, with the ability to translate KPIs and data into actionable strategies.Experience in workforce planning, peak trading management, and operational excellence.Proficiency with POS systems, CRM platforms, and retail reporting tools.Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.Excellent people management, coaching, and communication skills.Highly organised and able to prioritise effectively, maintaining high store standards.Flexible, agile, and resilient, able to adapt to changing retail priorities and business needs in a fast-paced environment.Passion for fashion, lifestyle, and exceptional customer experiences.Experience leading teams of 15+ preferred.

The Ideal Candidate

A decisive and independent thinker who thrives in problem solving and strategy.Commercially minded and results driven.Hands-on and proactive in leadership style.Resilient and adaptable within a fast-paced retail environment.Passionate about delivering exceptional customer experiences.An enthusiastic role model with a strong work ethic who motivates the team and fosters a professional, positive, and healthy working environment.