Retail Trade Counter Manager

Are you a driven, hands-on leader with a passion for retail, food, and fast-paced environments?

We're on the lookout for a Retail Trade Counter Manager in the Food sector to take the reins of our client's thriving market stalls in the Manchester area.

This is more than just a management role—it's an opportunity to own the day-to-day and commercial performance of three key sites and play a pivotal part in their continued growth. You'll be the glue between the on-the-ground operations and Head Office Commercial and Finance teams, helping shape pricing, purchasing, product ranges and performance strategy while taking ownership of sales, profitability and operational excellence.

What You'll Be Doing

* Taking full ownership of the operations, staffing, stock, cash handling and overall commercial performance across each site.

* Driving profitable sales growth through excellent customer service, effective merchandising, pricing and product availability.

* Leading, coaching and inspiring on-site teams to create a high-performance culture focused on accountability, teamwork and exceptional customer experience.

* Planning staffing levels to meet trading demands whilst maintaining strong control of labour costs.

* Working hand-in-hand with the Commercial team to fine-tune pricing, promotional activity, product selection and supplier relationships.

* Ensuring excellent stock availability through effective forecasting, purchasing, ordering and inventory management.

* Driving stock accuracy whilst minimising waste, shrinkage and stock loss through robust controls.

* Maintaining tight financial controls and reporting systems in collaboration with the central Finance team.

* Monitoring key commercial KPIs including sales, margin, profitability, labour and stock performance, using data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

* Ensuring the highest standards of presentation, hygiene, food safety, health & safety and regulatory compliance across every site.

* Constantly analysing sales data and market trends to identify opportunities that improve both customer experience and commercial performance.

Who Are You?

* An experienced commercial operator, from a retail, wholesale, or markets background with proven experience in the food sector.

* Someone with proven responsibility for sales, profitability and operational performance.

* A strong leader who enjoys recruiting, coaching and developing high-performing teams.

* Commercially savvy, confident making data-led decisions and using KPIs to improve performance.

* Experienced in managing stock, inventory, cash and customer experience simultaneously within a busy, high-volume trading environment.

* A highly organised problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced setting.

* An excellent communicator who enjoys building relationships across operations, suppliers and Head Office teams.

Key Requirements

* Availability for early mornings and Saturday trading—it comes with the territory!

* Flexibility to support new market openings and business growth.

* Confidence working cross-functionally with Commercial and Finance teams to ensure seamless execution.

* Flexibility to support the business outside normal trading hours when required.

This is your chance to take on a dynamic leadership role with genuine autonomy to influence trading decisions, shape product ranges, improve profitability and help drive the future growth of the regional market and wholesale business.

If this sounds like your next challenge and you have the experience to hit the ground running, apply via the link below and we'll be in touch