Retail Sales Assistant ( Garden Shop)

Retail Sales Assistant – Garden Sundries

Full-time 39.25 hours per week across 4 weekdays 8.30am - 5pm and 1 alternating day at the weekend 8.30-5 (Saturday) 9-4 (Sunday)

Perrywood is an independent, family-owned garden centre and nursery group run by the Bourne Family. Our Tiptree, Buckhatch and Sudbury centres are all surrounded by beautiful countryside and our mission is to offer a memorable garden centre experience; delivering wow customer service and giving our employees and customers, a reason to smile.

Garden Sundries is our department selling products to help our customers create and maintain beautiful gardens. Includes pots, garden statues & sculptures, water features, trellis & plant supports, seeds & bulbs, feeds, tools, pet & bird care, solar lighting and compost. Our compost is sold via our Compost Drive Thru, which is situated in our car park. Our other products are sold from our garden shop department, also outdoors or under canopies beside our Plant Area. From September to December, some of this team also help in our Christmas Shop.

We are looking for cheerful individuals with proven retail experience who can take responsibility for specific product areas; driving sales and delivering excellent customer service. Ideally, the candidate will have an interest in gardening and a good basic knowledge of gardening products.

Rewards and Benefits

In addition to your hourly rate, you will receive the following benefits:

• Discount – From the start of your employment you will receive 10% discount on specific items. Following a successful probation period, the discount increases up to 20% discount on specific items and after one year’s service up to 40% discount on specific items. (some exceptions apply)
• Paid holiday – holiday entitlement is 22 days per year, plus bank holidays. Restrictions apply
• Annual Christmas bonus
• Part-uniform provided
• Employee Assistant Programme - a confidential personal and professional support service available to all employees and their immediate families 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Training & development, as required. We have an e-learning scheme called GROW, and also take part in other training with product suppliers and external trainers
• Company sick pay – following a successful probation period employees are entitled to 10 days paid sickness (part-time pro rata & subject to restrictions)
• Access to our Retail Discount Scheme – savings on retailers including Tesco, Pizza Express,M&S, Waitrose, Argos, Apple, Currys PC World, Thomas Cook and 100’s more
• Workplace pension
• Free parking

Key duties

• Take responsibility for product areas within the Garden Sundries department. Tasks will include stocking up, cleanliness and driving sales through excellent customer service
• Working at our compost drive thru advising customers, selling and loading compost
• Working in a variety of environments including outside
• Work closely with display merchandiser and manager to create eye-catching displays and stock up around product groups and seasonal hooks e.g. Christmas, Easter
• Delivering excellent customer service, confidently answering customer queries face to face and on the telephone
• Operating the till system (EPOS – electronic point of sale), processing cash and card payments, arranging deliveries
• Labeling and pricing
• Maintaining stock levels in selling areas and merchandising
• Helping customers with enquiries, finding products etc.
• Being friendly, polite and helpful to customers at all times
• Ensuring health and safety duties are met
• Annual stock take and on-going stock maintenance e.g. theft prevention, breakages, returns

This is not an exhaustive list and you are required to be flexible in your approach to carrying out your duties.

Your capabilities

• You have good verbal communication skills, and are confident in dealing with members of the public
• You are able to follow instructions from your manager, and can work on your own initiative

Requirements

• Experience of working in a retail environment is essential
• Knowledge of standard retail procedures such as merchandising and stocking up, customer service, cleanliness and health & safety is essential
• You’ll need to work four week days, plus a weekend day (on an alternating basis)
• You’ll need to work most bank holidays, but will be given a day’s holiday in lieu
• Ability to lift and carry e.g. stocking up, lifting objects to scan in at the till
• Good communication and customer service skills essential
• Good standard of English and Maths
• Smart appearance

If this Full time Retail Sale Assistant position sounds like the ideal opportunity for you, please apply directly to us. We’d love to hear from you!

For further information and a full job description, please visit the Perrywood website https://www.perrywood.co.uk/careers/

Perrywood is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please inform us as soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: £12.50 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Store discount

Application question(s):

• Are you happy to work outside in all weathers?
• Due to our rural location and limited access to public transport your own transport is preferred
• Tell us about your knowledge of garden care products

Experience:

• Retail: 2 years (required)
• Customer Service: 2 years (required)

Work Location: In person