Meet Our New Trainee

Back in June, Vein Store began the hunt for a new trainee.

We have been searching for someone who wants to learn both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes retail business theory and practice. We found her!

Meet our new trainee, Nikki-Lee. Nikki is 22 years old, full of self-confidence and enjoys learning. She also has the can-do attitude. She enjoys being in the Vein Store and interacting with customers. Come in and meet our new Nikki :)

And please send your feedback to vein@veinwear.com.

Applications Open For Vein Store Retail Business Traineeship

Fashion Retail Business Traineeship

Vein Store, winner of 2008 fashion business retailer of the year award, is opening a new trainee position.

The successful applicant will start part-time/casual and move to full-time if outstanding performance warrants it. You will be paid for all work on the retail floor, plus performance bonuses. Prove yourself all the way up to manager.

However, the real benefit to you is an opportunity to learn both front-of-house and behind-the-scenes business theory and practice. You will work, learn and be mentored directly with Christopher and Szuting McCallum who both have a decade’s experience in successful fashion design, manufacture, wholesale, retail and business. Better than any course or degree and it’s absolutely free. We are willing to give away our expert knowledge in the hope of unearthing one of Australia’s next top retailing minds. Everything you learn will be an asset, yours to keep.

Theory will be done on your own time. Yes, there is a reading list of books, magazines and blogs. Yes there are assignments. Think of it as directed personal professional development. You will have to enjoy learning as well as have the can-do attitude to put what you’ve learnt into practice. You will learn what other retailers cannot teach because it’s either a secret or they just don’t know themselves.

We expect you to eventually teach us a thing or two. You will be encouraged to research and expand your own theories and interests within the retail business sphere.

Age, gender, race and sexuality don’t matter. Only attitude and aptitude matter.

We are not looking for someone to open the doors and mind the till. We are not looking for fashion designers. You only need apply if you genuinely consider running a retail business as a long term career goal. This is not a job to get some cash while you are studying to be a doctor. This is not a job to fill in until your ideal job in Vogue comes up. This needs to BE your ideal job.

I estimate it will take at least 3 years training to become outstanding at all the retail disciplines.

The course of learning has four umbrella units which you will come to find are integrated, inter-related and systemic:

1) Financial Management
a) Collect, report and interpret retail store figures, statistics and financials:
b) Cash flow;
c) Pricing;
d) Profitability;
e) Stock performance, ordering;
f) Staffing;
g) Expense management (i.e. creative bootstrapping).

2) The Retail Offer
a) Branding;
b) Value;
c) Marketing;
d) Positioning;
e) Competition;
f) Product;
g) Pricing (2);
h) Online communication;
i) Market psychology.

3) Systems
a) Understand, Evaluate, Develop and Improve effective business systems;
b) Customer service systems;
c) Financial systems;
d) Marketing systems;
e) Content creation systems;
f) Merchandising systems;
g) Stock systems;
h) Sales systems;
i) Safety systems;
j) Computer and software systems;
k) Training systems.

4) In-Store
a) Sales process;
b) Presentation;
c) NLP;
d) Personality identification;
e) Conversation;
f) Body language;
g) Merchandising;
h) Window design;
i) Music;
j) Smell;
k) Store design – functional and aesthetic;
l) Product knowledge;
m) Customer service.

And you thought retailing was just putting stuff on shelves and opening the doors!

No prior experience or education is necessary. Favourable natural attributes you might have are:

1) self-confidence;
2) social affability;
3) a thirst for knowledge and learning;
4) an interest in fashion;
5) a love of retail…the rubber hits the road in the store and you have to enjoy being there and interacting with customers no matter how senior your role.

All of the above will either strike a chord with you, make you feel uneasy or repulse you. If it strikes a chord, please apply. If someone you know would be better suited, please pass it on. We look forward to meeting Australia’s next top retailer!

P.S. – This is not a reality television show.

Research/contact us here:

• www.veinwear.com & veinwear.blogspot.com
• www.kittycroquet.com
• Vein Store, Shop 25b TCB Centre (runs between Brunswick St Mall and Chinatown Mall) Fortitude Valley, Brisbane QLD
• chris@veinwear.com
• (07) 3357 4558

Please contact us for an interview. CV is not required. References are required.

To get the spot you will have to:

1. have a kick-ass interview;
2. ace a trial;
3. submit a short review of the book "Retail is a University" by Peter James Ryan & Gerard Manion; and
4. ultimately be chosen by our customers.

Good luck :)