Retail Operations Lead

For Ace & Tate, glasses are more than eyewear. They are a fashion item, a looking glass enframing the windows to the soul, illuminating the person within. In the words of Founder Mark de Lange, “If we posit it this way, sure enough, you’ll want to be treated like that as a customer. This is why service is so important to us here at Ace & Tate.” This is perhaps the number one reason why Ace & Tate has made such headway in the retail sector.

Catching up in retail

Ace & Tate went from concept to launch in less than a year, with the cofounders taking its first website live in June 2013. The first pop-up store opened in a hotel in Amsterdam in 2014. Later that year, Ace & Tate eyewear hit the shelves of multiple retailers, including De Bijenkorf department store. In July of 2015, Ace & Tate opened its first brick and mortar shop in Amsterdam’s most desirable shopping district, the “Nine Streets” neighborhood; and a few months later, they set up another shop in Amsterdam and in midtown Utrecht and Rotterdam. Berlin came next, in early 2016; and, soon, they are planning to open shops in Antwerp and Munich. In short, retail has become a leading channel in fleshing out Ace & Tate’s omnichannel business strategy.

Working at Ace & Tate

Koen Bremer came on board Ace & Tate in the summer of 2015. It was a giant leap from his eight years in the consulting business (he was a Project Leader at The Boston Consulting Group). Koen Bremer is now the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and was hired to further professionalize operations and structure the organization so as to prepare it for continued growth. On working at Ace & Tate, he says:

“Since we’re growing so fast, there’s still a lot to learn, even for our managers. If forging through uncharted territory is what gives you life, then you’ll fit right in at Ace & Tate.”

As COO, Koen Bremer leads the retail team, which includes Retail Operations and Retail Expansion. Due to the sharp increase in the number of stores, a new position was created for a Retail Operations Lead. The Retail Operations Lead will report directly to the COO and assume responsibility for the success of sales operations in the showrooms.

Vacancy for Retail Operations Lead

The Retail Operations Lead will oversee sales operations for all stores in Europe. This person will be frequently on the road to maintain relations with the stores, the personnel, and the customers as well as be able to anticipate new and trending developments. They will supervise not only Store Managers, but also the Lead Opticians and future Retail Managers (supervising multiple retail locations). There are currently five Store Managers working for the company. In one year, this number will expand to twenty. Retail Managers, of which there are currently none, will be recruited and hired in the near future. In the interim, the Retail Operations Lead will see to it that the customer experience remains positive – if not better – despite rapid company growth, and will work diligently to make sure that everyone on the job is able to remain highly efficient and help grow the bottom line. The Retail Operations Lead focuses on three pillars:

I. Educating, training, and coaching the (international) retail team

The Retail Operations Lead will collaborate closely with the COO to develop the Ace & Tate training program and improve recruitment processes. To do that successfully, they will need to be highly engaged in the showrooms to maintain a tight-knit relationship with the Store Managers and other personnel as well as stay abreast of what customers want and desire. They should also be willing to travel frequently in the Netherlands and abroad. This is not a typical nine-to-five job: Saturdays and extended-hour shopping days are always the busiest.

II. Optimizing the omni-channel strategy

One of the growing trends is for customers to visit an actual store to try on eyewear seen online before proceeding with any online order. For that reason, it is crucial for customers to know exactly which model and color they test-wore during their visit. An innovative omni-channel strategy suited to Ace & Tate is what will bring results. The Retail Operations Lead will need to experiment with new design concepts, draw up a plan based on the data, and articulate the insights to Store Managers. In addition, they will ensure Store Managers have the right tools at their disposal to put these plans into action.

III. Engaging local communities

Ace & Tate has a vision for its stores to be well-engaged in local communities. The Retail Operations Lead will team up with the Ace & Tate’s Branding & Communications department to assess opportunities to organize events and do collaborative marketing via well-known social media personalities, including influencers, bloggers and vloggers. Therefore, it is important for the Ace & Tate Retail Operations Lead to be extremely “on-brand” and meticulous about protecting the brand identity. A successful Retail Operations Lead will be able to inspire and instill this mentality in all retail personnel – from the Store Manager to the Opticians and on-site sales staff.