Store Manager - South Pacific Region

About the Role

This bench position is designed for experienced store managers ready to step into a leadership role with Cost.U.Less. It prepares candidates to lead a Cost.U.Less store team and oversee day-to-day operations when a Store Manager position becomes available. The role combines hands-on learning with advanced management experience, offering a pathway to develop deeper insights into Cost.U.Less operations, goals, and strategies. Management Interns (MITs) collaborate closely with experienced Store Managers and company leadership to refine their skills and transition smoothly into a Store Manager role.

Must be flexible to work in any geographic area that Cost.U.Less operates within the South Pacific, including, but not limited to, Guam, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii. Joining NWCI offers growth and development opportunities throughout the company, an attractive and competitive salary and benefits package, and the chance to be part of a dynamic and diverse culture.

NWCI is a leading retailer serving under-served rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in Northern Canada, Western Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific islands, and the Caribbean. Our stores offer a broad range of products and services with an emphasis on food, aiming to be the best local shopping choice for everyday household and local lifestyle needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision and overall leadership to the store.
• Ensure Best Practice standards are communicated to and adhered to by store staff.
• Communicate, implement, and support all direction from the corporate office, regional manager, and field support personnel.
• Be involved in the planning and execution of store resets.
• Monitor compliance with Federal, State, Territory, and local regulations that impact daily business operations.
• Monitor all expense lines, provide guidance on “best business practices,” and implement controls to reduce costs, improve productivity, and enhance bottom-line profits.
• Control local purchases to ensure tight inventory turns and manage inventory dollars.
• Communicate competitive issues, merchandising opportunities, and product lines to procurement staff and the regional manager to ensure customers receive the right items at the right price, with stock availability and easy product location.
• Develop, communicate, and implement effective monthly operational plans aligned with regional programs and objectives, including financial and fiscal responsibilities.
• Report tax, duty, and rate changes to the corporate office as soon as available.
• Contribute to the development of the store’s operating plan and capital budget, and communicate plans to management and junior staff.
• Achieve performance targets set out in these plans and report on any variances shown in monthly financial statements.
• Provide effective and timely communication to operational staff and the Regional/Corporate office.
• Coordinate activities requiring inter-departmental input with appropriate personnel (e.g., procurement, maintenance, advertising, human resources).
• Assist Category Managers in continually improving and refining the product mix.
• Communicate merchandise problem areas and recommend promotions, markdowns, and pricing to ensure consistent inventory turns and clarity of offering.
• Assist the Accounting department in proper coding of expenses to ensure accurate financial statements.
• Communicate with logistics using the proper reporting structure to identify discrepancies and maintain accurate inventory reports.
• Report ongoing issues to the regional manager and submit all monthly reports within deadlines.
• Provide operational and merchandising training to staff, including product familiarity, proper adjacencies, merchandising standards, housekeeping, and signing to achieve sales and profit targets.
• Train all managers to provide a safe and sanitary environment for customers and employees.
• Implement operational and financial standards to reduce shrink and drive bottom-line profits through efficiency.
• Identify individuals capable of becoming managers (all levels) within the current staff and develop individualized training programs to prepare them for advancement.
• Report on the progress and capability of managers/supervisors in the training program and recommend individuals for promotion based on successful completion.
• Communicate the availability of managers for transfer to other locations.

Requirements

• Minimum 12th grade education; college degree preferred.
• 5 years of experience managing a large retail store or big-box store.
• Familiarity with US product mix.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Good business acumen and problem-solving capabilities.
• Computer skills: Excel, Word, Windows.
• Ability to travel 3-4 weeks a year.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays.
• Willingness to work hands-on in a physical, fast-paced environment, including areas affected by natural disasters.
• Flexibility to work in any geographic area Cost.U.Less operates within the South Pacific (e.g., Guam, Fiji, American Samoa, Hawaii).

Benefits

A competitive salary and benefits package is offered, along with opportunities to learn, develop, and advance throughout the organization.