Area Retail Sales Manager

Connecticut | Full Time | Primarily Field-Based | Reports to Regional Sales Manager

United States Beverage is seeking an entrepreneurial Area Retail Manager to grow the company’s portfolio throughout Connecticut. This hands-on field role focuses on prospecting retailers, opening accounts, securing placements, improving shelf and cold-box visibility, activating promotions, and driving reorders. The representative owns retail execution while partnering closely with distributors across package stores, chains, grocery, convenience, bars, restaurants, hotels, clubs, and other approved accounts.

• Maintain a productive territory call cycle and actively prospect new accounts.
• Sell beer, spirits, RTDs, nonalcoholic, and other approved products to retail decision-makers.
• Open accounts and secure authorizations, placements, menus, displays, shelf/cold-box space, and promotions.
• Expand distribution within existing accounts and build relationships with owners, buyers, managers, and staff.
• Present compelling brand, consumer, pricing, and profit stories and focus on measurable sales results.

• Ensure products are stocked, priced, displayed, and supported; build approved displays and POS.
• Correct out-of-stocks, pricing, placement, ordering, and merchandising issues.
• Protect and grow secured placements through regular follow-up and reorder activity.
• Document calls, placements, displays, photos, and market observations accurately
• Work with distributor sales, management, merchandising, and key-account teams on priorities and opportunities.
• Participate in work-withs, meetings, blitzes, launches, and incentive programs.
• Communicate orders, inventory issues, opportunities, and execution needs, track orders through completion.
• Maintain direct ownership of retail demand and execution while supporting distributor goals.

• Treat the territory as a business: identify underserved markets, high-potential accounts, trends, and new channels.
• Support approved tastings, samplings, staff trainings, launches, menu features, promotions, and community activations.
• Develop high visibility “lighthouse accounts,” bring forward solutions, and use resources responsibly.
• Understand portfolio priorities and provide market intelligence on competition, pricing, promotions, and consumer trends.
• Maintain weekly territory plans, an active prospect pipeline, and timely reporting.
• Track distribution, placements, displays, orders, activations, volume, and execution against goals.
• Communicate problems early and follow through until commitments and issues are resolved.
• Recap weekly activity back to RSM and Distributor for follow up

Four full field days plus one half-day for planning, reporting, follow-up, and distributor communication. Schedule may vary with market needs, accounts, events, and seasonal priorities. Connecticut travel is required; early mornings, evenings, or occasional weekends may be necessary. The representative must work independently while remaining highly accountable for activity and results.

New accounts and placements; distribution growth; orders and reorders; displays and promotional features; cold-box/shelf/menu/back-bar placements; territory coverage and call productivity; distributor work-withs; activations; execution quality; reporting; volume growth; retailer/distributor relationships; and ability to identify opportunities and solve market problems.

• 2+ years preferred in field sales, beverage-alcohol, CPG, retail execution, merchandising, hospitality, or distribution.
• Connecticut beverage-market and retail-account knowledge strongly preferred.
• Proven prospecting, cold-calling, presentation, objection-handling, closing, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organization, territory management, communication, follow-up, and independent work habits.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to build business from the ground up.
• Comfortable with mobile sales apps, email, spreadsheets, presentations, and reporting systems.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, ability to travel throughout Connecticut, and ability to move product/POS materials.
• Must meet all applicable legal and company requirements for beverage-alcohol work.