Company description
Job Requisition ID: 143744 Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day
Job description
Overview of the role To contribute to positioning the IKEA store as the “Leader in life at home” in our market in order to maximise sales and long-term profitability. I do this by securing the effective implementation of global solutions using my knowledge of people’s life at home and consumer buying behaviour in my market and my home furnishing competence to adapt these to meet our national needs. Main responsibilities are:

• To ensure we visualize the uniqueness of the IKEA product range within Specialty shops, furniture compacts, studios ,Self-serve furniture area and the Swedish Food market to distance us from the competition.
• Optimising the use of the IKEA store layout and store media by developing and implementing range presentation solutions that strengthen the connection between the IKEA offer and every life of the many people.
• Securing a deep knowledge of all store media and clarifying the main purpose of each media.
• Reflecting the IKEA brand identity and creating visual impact in all commercial and sales support and co-worker areas.
• To work with the Service Office (SO) Communication & Interior Design (Com & In) colleagues, Expansion colleagues and other functions to secure the alignment of our stores with global and national priorities within the assigned areas of responsibility.
• To lead and inspire the Visual Merchandiser planner’s team to develop and implement store layout as a commercial tool, range presentation and store communication.

What you will do REGIONAL SUPPORT

• Actively support the Com & In manager Expansion in implementing the country business plan and country Com & In Business plan to support the optimization of sales and our long-term growth in our new to build stores.
• Support the stores to ensure the uniqueness of the IKEA Brand identity in range presentation and store communication in order to distance us from the competition. Taking ownership for how we are working with visual merchandising in my country.
• Using range presentation solutions are relevant to the many peoples life at home in my local market and that it accurately reflects demographics, living conditions and out visitors needs and wants.
• Securing that our solutions reflect a wide variety style expressions and functions to meet individual tastes and stimulate our visitors to change their home furnishings more often, using IKEA style groups and IKEA living situations.
• Develop the store layout and support the stores to ensure it is used to create optimal visual impact, a good overview and supports our commercial priorities.
• Working with SO Com & In colleagues, SO Expansion team, Sales leaders, Fulfilment team and other SO functions to agree on our regional priorities. Together developing solutions that present and communicate the IKEA product range in a way that reflects its width and depth and strengthens our low-price profile on all levels and reflects our local market needs.
• To working closely with the Country Com & In visual merchandising and Activity leader , marketing department colleagues and other SO colleagues to ensure the country commercial calendar messages are communicated in a clear, consistent and inspiring way, supporting commercial priorities and reflecting seasonality.

STORE SUPPORT and NEW STORES

• Work with the visual merchandise planners to develop and implement the store layout to meet and exceed visitor's expectations on the IKEA shopping and buying experience, strengthen the uniqueness of the IKEA product range, graphic identity and tone of voice.
• Demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of people’s needs and wants, their living situations and living conditions and consumer buying behaviour in my national market and I am inquisitive to find out more.
• Analyse the IKEA Customer Satisfaction survey (ICSS), IKEA Brand Capital and other visitor feedback and use these insights to work with the store Com&In teams to improve the experience of our visitors and convert them into satisfied customers.
• Working with the Expansion graphic manager and Expansion interior design manager to ensure consistency in how we communicate throughout our new stores.
• Supporting the new stores to ensure the implementation of store communication using the layout to create optimal visual impact, a good overview and support our commercial priorities.
• Work with good time management skills.

COACHING

• Sharing good ideas and coaching store visual merchandise managers and the visual merchandise planners to improve their competence.
• Support and coach the visual merchandise managers of new stores and visual merchandise planners team to secure that layouts, range presentations solutions is prioritized, placed correctly, consistent and understandable, clear and uncluttered with the customer in focus.
• Ability to coach and educate Com & In colleagues, other functions and our store visual merchandisers on how to work with manuals, global directions and tools within the area of responsibility.
• Lead, inspire and challenge the visual merchandise planners in your team to constantly increase their knowledge of people’s life at home, consumer behavior and develop their visual merchandise skills.

PROJECTS

• Coordinate with the regional expansion plans , store rebuilds and special projects whenever necessary including commercial planning, build up and opening phases.
• Supporting with current ways of working and business practices.

Required skills to be successful

• Understands customer buying behavior and buying decisions.
• Knows the competition on the local market.
• Has experience in incorporating the commercial calendar into the Communication & Interior Design action plan.
• Has thorough knowledge of the role and responsibilities of a store Visual merchandising manager.
• Good time management skills and flexibility.
• Has thorough knowledge of AutoCAD, Revit and other design soft skills

What equips you for the role

• 5 years in a similar role.
• Ideally knowledge of the IKEA Concept
• Has thorough knowledge of the role and responsibilities of the Communication & Interior Design department.
• Has a passion for visual design, interior design and home furnishings and retail design

Qualification
About Al-Futtaim Retail Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference…