Head of Retail

About the Role

Frette is seeking a newly created leadership role, the Head of Retail, who will report directly to the Group Chief Executive Officer and serve as a key member of the Retail Leadership Team. This position is responsible for driving the performance, development, and evolution of Frette's North America retail business across 12 stores (9 full-price and 3 outlet locations). The Head of Retail will collaborate closely with Merchandising, Marketing, E-Commerce, and Operations teams to accelerate business growth, elevate customer experience, and strengthen organizational capability.

Responsibilities

• Provide inspirational and transformative leadership to the retail organization, fostering a high-performance culture rooted in accountability, coaching, and continuous development.
• Lead the development, engagement, and retention of top retail talent, with a strong emphasis on leadership capability building, succession planning, and internal career progression.
• Design and implement best-in-class learning and development programs for all retail positions, equipping teams with the tools, behaviors, and product knowledge needed to deliver exceptional results.
• Establish a culture that strengthens leadership effectiveness at every level while cultivating Frette's standards of luxury service and client engagement.
• Establish, implement, and continuously monitor retail operating standards and brand guidelines across all North America stores, ensuring a consistent and elevated luxury customer experience.
• Lead regular store evaluations and performance reviews to identify opportunities for improvement in service, visual presentation, operational execution, and team effectiveness.
• Partner with store leadership to develop corrective action plans and ensure consistent adherence to brand expectations.
• Identify and capitalize on emerging market trends, competitive dynamics, and new business opportunities to strengthen Frette's market position and drive sustainable growth.
• Maintain a deep understanding of industry developments and macroeconomic and microeconomic trends.
• Leverage retail performance analytics to inform strategy and empower regional leadership teams to implement data-driven actions that achieve and exceed business objectives.
• Champion AI-enabled innovation across the retail network by identifying opportunities to automate non-selling activities, optimize workforce planning, enhance clientelling effectiveness, and streamline operational processes.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments of all existing retail locations to identify opportunities to improve sales productivity, customer experience, operational efficiency, talent capability, and brand execution.
• Implement, monitor, and continuously reinforce Frette's retail operating standards and brand guidelines across all stores.
• Establish a structured store review and coaching cadence with store leadership teams, developing action plans, accountability measures, and performance objectives that drive continuous improvement.
• Design and embed a comprehensive Learning & Development strategy aligned with both short- and long-term retail objectives, establishing clear career pathways and development opportunities, and meaningful feedback loops.
• Develop and execute succession plans across the retail organization, creating strategies to attract, develop, retain, and advance top talent.
• Establish, document, and continuously improve store development processes, governance standards, and KPIs, including budget adherence, project timelines, customer satisfaction, and sales ramp-up performance.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, including the executive leadership team, Board of Directors, landlords, and strategic partners.
• Lead and develop the retail organization, driving store performance through commercial excellence, accountability, and inspirational leadership.
• Maintain expertise in luxury retail, home lifestyle trends, and competitive innovations, anticipating evolving consumer preferences and upcoming market opportunities.
• Source, evaluate, and secure new retail locations, leading negotiations with landlords, developers, and agents on lease terms, renewals, incentives, and key commercial agreements to achieve target returns on invested capital.

Requirements

• 10+ years of executive leadership experience within luxury retail or a premium global consumer brand, with apparel, fashion, footwear, home furnishings, or luxury lifestyle experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and scaling retail operating standards, coaching frameworks, and brand compliance programs across a multi-unit luxury retail organization.
• Proven experience managing P&L performance, strategic financial planning, and driving significant revenue growth and profitability within a multi-channel retail environment.
• Demonstrated success in designing and implementing learning and development frameworks that enhance performance, leadership capability, and succession planning.
• Exceptional strategic and commercial acumen, with the ability to translate market insights into actionable business strategies and lead organizational transformation.
• Inspirational leadership style with a track record of building, developing, and retaining high-performing teams.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with C-suite executives, global partners, board members, and diverse teams.
• Deep understanding of luxury consumer behavior, retail market dynamics, and the competitive landscape.
• Proven ability to cultivate strategic relationships and foster cross-functional collaboration within complex, international organizations.
• Willingness to travel up to 60% within the United States.

Interview Process

This role involves meeting a variety of stakeholders, including:

• Senior HR Manager
• Group CEO
• Group Chief Merchandising & E-Commerce Officer
• Director of Global Merchandise Planning
• Marketing Director, Home
• Senior Manager, Merchandise and Planning