Footwear Specialist - Duke Street

Position Overview:

We are currently recruiting for a Footwear Specialist to join our Duke Street Partner Store. This is a key sales role focused on delivering an exceptional, expert-led customer experience across our footwear offer. The focus is on deep product knowledge, confident styling advice, and building genuine connections with customers to optimise footwear sales and encourage brand loyalty.

As a Footwear Specialist, you are the go-to expert on the shop floor for everything footwear, from fit and function to style and trends. You will work closely with the management and visual merchandising team to ensure the footwear department is consistently presented to the highest standards and that every customer leaves with the right product and the right experience.

You will bring energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to every interaction. Whether you're helping a customer find the perfect fit, sharing the story behind a brand, or keeping the department looking its best, you take pride in everything you do. You'll know our footwear range inside-out and stay ahead of trends so you can always give customers knowledgeable, confident and credible advice.

We want you as you – in your own way, with your unique style. We work as a team, and you must lead by great example on the shop floor every day. A passion for footwear, fashion and delivering a first-class customer experience is essential. You must feel extremely confident in starting conversation and approaching customers, with the ability to adapt. You are committed to hitting your individual targets and contributing to the overall success of the store.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Footwear Expertise & Customer Service

• Act as the in-store footwear expert, delivering confident, knowledgeable and personalised product recommendations to every customer.
• Guide customers through fit, function and style - ensuring they leave with the right product for their needs.
• Stay up to date on the full footwear range, including new arrivals, bestsellers and brand heritage.
• Deliver an exceptional, one on one, premium customer experience in line with Barbours brand standard always.
• Build genuine relationships with customers to encourage repeat visits and long-term loyalty.
• Handle customer enquiries and complaints professionally, resolving issues promptly and effectively.

Sales Performance & Commercial Awareness

• Achieve and consistently strive to exceed individual sales targets and KPIs.
• Drive footwear sales through effective upselling, cross-selling and add-on recommendations.
• Maintain awareness of average transaction value (ATV), units per transaction (UPT) and conversion rates.
• Contribute ideas to improve footwear performance, increase conversion and enhance the customer experience.
• Stay aware of competitor activity, new launches and market trends within the footwear sector.
• Support the team in achieving overall store sales targets.

Product Knowledge & Brand Representation

• Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of all footwear brands, styles and collections that Barbour the brand have to offer, in addition to the store stock.
• Attend brand training sessions and product knowledge briefings to stay informed and up to date.
• Share product knowledge with the wider team to raise the collective standard of footwear service across the store.
• Act as a brand ambassador for Barbour, reflecting the store's values, aesthetic and standards in every interaction.

Visual Merchandising & Store Presentation

• Ensure the footwear department is always presented to the highest standard, in line with brand guidelines and VM directives.
• Support with footwear display changes, seasonal updates, and new product launches.
• Maintain stock levels on the shop floor, replenishing from stockroom when required.
• Identify and feedback slow-moving or high-performing lines to the management team.

Store & Stockroom Operations

• Assist with the receipt, processing and organisation of footwear deliveries.
• Support stock management processes including replenishment, size runs, inventory counts and stock control.

Team & Culture

• Work collaboratively with the wider store team to ensure a positive, high-performance working environment.
• Support new team members with product knowledge and customer service standards.
• Participate in team briefings, training sessions, and store meetings.
• Bring a positive attitude and strong work ethic to every shift.

Skills and Experience:

• A genuine passion for footwear. fashion and premium retail brands.
• Previous experience in a sales or customer-facing retail role, ideally within footwear or fashion (preferred but not essential)
• Confidence in delivering expert product advice and styling guidance to customers.
• Commercial awareness with an understanding of sales targets, KPIs, and individual performance metrics.
• A proactive, self-motivated approach with the drive to consistently meet and exceed targets.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining high visual merchandising standards.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage stockroom responsibilities alongside shop floor duties.
• Flexible and adaptable, including availability to work weekends, evenings, and peak trading periods.
• Confident in using retail systems and basic reporting tools.
• A positive, team-focused mindset and strong work ethic.
• Ability to represent Barbour with professionalism, energy and enthusiasm every day.

Additional Information:

• Please note that the successful applicants will be employed directly by “The Highlands, Regent Street LTD” in their store which trades as Barbour located on Regent Street and Duke Street. J Barbour & Sons Limited will not be the employer of the successful applicant.

Benefits:

• Generous Staff Discount
• Staff Uniform
• Pension Scheme
• 20 days holiday as standard (increasing with length of service, plus bank holidays)

Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.

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