Retail Sales Lead & Community Engagement

Retail Sales Lead & Community Engagement

Akinz — Old Town Fort Collins, CO Full-time | $17–20/hr, DOE | Reports to the Owner

About the Role

Akinz is a handcrafted clothing & goods brand for the everyday adventurer, made right here in Old Town Fort Collins. We live what we sell — time outside before or after work, weekends in the mountains, favorite local spots always on hand for a visitor who asks.

This is a hands-on retail role first, but it comes with real ownership: you'll help decide who we support locally, help plan events, and share our story on social media.

If you love connecting with customers, care about your community, and want room to grow into a store manager role, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

On the sales floor (day-to-day priority)

• Open and close the shop, run the register, and handle daily keyholder responsibilities
• Greet and help customers with genuine, low-pressure hospitality (we're not a hard-sell shop)
• Keep the shop floor stocked, organized, and visually inspired
• Help track inventory and flag reorders or issues
• Handle local pickup order fulfillment
• Pitch in on production finishing work when needed (finishing knits, tagging, etc. )

Community engagement

• Field and approve routine local donation and partnership requests; bring bigger asks to the owner
• Help plan and staff local events, both in the shop and around town
• Build relationships with neighboring Old Town businesses and local organizations

Social media

• Help create shop content (photos, captions, stories), keeping posting consistent and timely

What We're Looking For

• 1–2 years of retail experience, ideally with some keyholder or leadership responsibility
• Strong leadership qualities, someone who leads by example, not just by title
• A track record of reliability — we're looking for someone who shows up, on time, every time
• A genuine self-starter who doesn't wait to be told what to do next
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Reliable transportation to get to the shop and, occasionally, our production space. Company van is available for offsite events for team members 25 (insurance requirement); if you're under 25 or prefer to drive yourself, your own reliable vehicle works too
• Ability to be on your feet all day when busy.
• Must be able to lift 40 lb boxes
• Preferred: an appreciation for Colorado's outdoor lifestyle — running, hiking, biking, or just loving where you live — enough to point visitors toward a favorite trail or local spot when they ask

Schedule

Full-time (32 - 40 hrs), including weekends (our core retail hours). Some evening or weekend availability for events as needed.

Thanksgiving through the New Year is our busiest stretch of the year. Any planned trips during this window must be disclosed in your application, and all future vacation days must be pre-approved to ensure we have shift coverage.

Pay & Benefits

• $17–20/hour, depending on experience
• PTO and sick leave
• Employee discount

Growth Opportunity

This role has a clear path to Store Manager for the right person. We're building this position with room to grow — if you're looking for a place to put down roots and take on more responsibility over time, this is that kind of shop.