Asheville Shop - Part-Time Sales Position

JOB TITLE: Asheville Shop, Part-Time Sales Position

REPORTS TO: Executive Director, Guest Services

DEPARTMENT: Visitor Center

PAY STATUS: Exempt

The Asheville Shop celebrates Western North Carolina’s creativity and artistry through locally made products. Located within the Asheville Visitor Center, the Shop is an extension of the Visitor Center, featuring products from more than 100 Chamber member artists and businesses.

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

The Part-Time Sales Position is responsible for retail operations, including customer service, vendor relationships, visual merchandising, digital marketing, and sales growth.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

· Retail Operations: depending on assigned schedule,arrives at work by 8:30 am to open the Shop by 9:00 am and closes the Shop no earlier than 5:00 pm; manages open and close of cash register each day and accounting of all receipts and reconciliation with cash on hand; processes transactions using point-of-sale system

· Visual Merchandising and In-Store Experience: creates a welcoming shopping experience; maintains clean, well-organized and fully stocked retail environment; creates compelling product displays including seasonal tables, themed collections, and gift bundles; designs and prepares rotating “meet the maker” displays to showcase local artisans, including story signage, tags, and QR codes to educate customers about products and artisans; coordinates live maker demonstrations and in-store events to drive customer engagement

· Customer Service: provides exceptional customer service by engaging visitors, offering assistance, providing helpful information about artists and products; exemplifies customer service standards; works with the Visitor Center Manager and volunteers to develop ways to drive visitor foot traffic to the Shop;assists in promoting, making selections for and preparing gift baskets for individual or corporate orders

· Miscellaneous Tasks: balances cash with deposit slips at end of day; processes, packs and ships out online Shopify orders within 24-48 hours; assists with wholesale relationships as needed to maintain top-rated service; maintains a neat, orderly stock area; restocks daily; assists with annual inventory audit; maintains mutually supportive working relationship with Visitor Center Manager; other duties as assigned

JOB KNOWLEDGE:

Requires strong customer service skills and retail expertise. The Part-Time Sales Position should possess strong visual merchandising abilities and the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic retail environment. Knowledge of the Asheville arts community, local maker ecosystem, and Western North Carolina retail landscape is highly desirable.

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

Prior work experience of 3 to 5 years in a retail position, preferably in specialty retail or artisan markets, is required.

CONTACT WITH OTHERS:

Represents the Chamber professionally in interactions with others. Internal contacts include Chamber personnel, department directors and senior leadership. External contacts include local business, local artisans and makers, members of the Chamber, board members, volunteers and the public at large. All contacts require the utmost respect, courtesy and professional decorum. Maintaining regular communication with supervisor is required.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCURACY:

High accuracy is required in inventory management, financial transactions, vendor billing, marketing content, and sales reporting.

MENTAL/PHYSICAL/VISUAL EFFORT:

The degree of concentration varies from routine customer interactions to intensive strategic planning and creative problem-solving. Position requires managing competing priorities and frequent interruptions in a customer-facing environment. While performing duties of this job, the incumbent is routinely required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, talk and hear. Subject to occasional lifting and carrying supplies weighing up to 40 pounds. Requires visual acuity, manual dexterity and good eye/hand/foot coordination. Extended computer work for e-commerce, marketing, and reporting tasks is required.

RESOURCEFULNESS & INITIATIVE:

Position requires significant initiative and independent decision-making within established brand guidelines and budget parameters. Creativity is essential for merchandising, vendor relationships, and problem solving. The position is expected to proactively identify opportunities for sales growth, operational improvements, and enhanced customer experiences.

ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in a publicly accessible environment with foot traffic periodically exceeding 1,000 visitors daily in the Visitor Center. This position works a flexible schedule, typically from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm on weekdays and including some weekend hours. Occasional evening or additional weekend hours may be required for special events or maker demonstrations.

SPECIFIC COMPUTER SKILLS:

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Shopify, and point-of-sale are required.

Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18 - $22