What are the responsibilities and job description for the Retail Sales Associate position at A Wonderful Time?
Retail Sales Associate
Start Date: September 14, 2026
Job Summary
A Wonderful Time is seeking a Retail Sales Associate to launch and grow a new retail concept opening in October 2026 in Montclair, NJ. Part gift shop, part art gallery, part product laboratory — this is not a standard retail job, and we’re not looking for a standard retail associate.
The closest comparison is a gallery docent. You are the host of the space: you greet people, talk with them, help them find the right gift, run the store’s games and rituals, and keep every display looking gallery-quality. Just as importantly, you are our market research program. The store is a laboratory for original products designed by the founder, and the people on the floor — watching what customers pick up, hearing what they say, noticing what they walk past — are how we decide what to make next.
You will be on the ground floor of a new business, working directly with the founder. This is the founder’s second venture; the first was a DTC-native brand that bootstrapped profitability to over $300 million in sales over the course of 11 years. For the right person, this is the start of a career, not a seasonal job.
We’re looking for talent with these skills -
- Energy from people — You genuinely light up around customers. You’re excited to make the store a destination people seek out, especially on evenings and weekends.
- An eye for presentation — You’re interested in interior design, art, displays, and merchandising. You notice when something is beautifully arranged — and when it isn’t — and you fix it.
- Playfulness — The store runs on games: voting with your dollars, secret menu items, a guest book, and more. You’ll be the one running them, and you have to love it.
- Curiosity about products and consumers — You have opinions about what makes a great store great, and you’re interested in why people buy what they buy.
- Hard work, no entitlement — You take pride in effort and results. Retail experience is a plus, but attitude matters more than résumé.
- Comfort with AI — You’re open to using AI tools as part of daily work — it’s how this company runs.
What the job will consist of -
- Hosting the floor: greeting customers, conversing, guiding gift selection, and gift-wrapping.
- Running in-store games, rituals, and events that make the store a destination.
- Merchandising: building and maintaining displays, restocking, and keeping the store at gallery-quality presentation standards.
- Consumer research: capturing register notes and observations — what sold, what stalled, what customers asked for — and feeding it back to the founder.
- Running checkout on the POS, receiving inventory, and following opening / mid-day / closing checklists.
Scope of Work & Pay
- Part-time, in-person at the store in Montclair, NJ. The store operates Wednesday through Sunday, roughly 2:00–9:00 PM, with possible extended weekend hours — this is a nighttime store, and evening and weekend availability is essential.
- Compensation is $18–$22/hour depending on experience.
- Paid training the week of September 14; the regular schedule begins October 1.
- Opportunity to scale with the company, we are in the very early stages of building a business, using the retail store as a proprietary asset.
Application Instructions
If you are interested in the role, you will be asked to complete a 15 minute prescreen questionare and will upload your resume as part of the prescreen process. Within 10 business days of completing the prescreen questionnaire you will be notified via email of your status.
About A Wonderful Time
Part gift shop and part art gallery, A Wonderful Time is a new retail concept opening in October 2026 in Montclair, NJ, adjacent to The Claridge Movie Theatre. The store will sell first-to-market, original products in stationery, art, homeware, and confectionery; each one designed by the founder to delight consumers and encourage new communal and familial traditions. The thesis behind the store is that retail can be an artistic medium, not just to sell but to give people in the community a space to consistently have a wonderful time together. Learn more at .
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
Salary : $18 - $22