What are the responsibilities and job description for the Retail Sales Manager position at The Fabric Center?
Company Description The Fabric Center is a premier quilting destination in the Midwest, offering more than 10,000 bolts of fabric, a wide selection of patterns, and essential quilting and sewing supplies. The store carries top sewing, embroidery, and quilting machines and is a certified dealer for Bernina, Brother, and Janome, providing trusted in-house sales, service, and repairs. Located off Liberty Street in Morris, Illinois, The Fabric Center serves customers from across Chicagoland who are seeking quality products and knowledgeable support. The shop is known for its welcoming environment and commitment to helping customers bring their creative projects to life. It has earned a reputation as a go-to destination that is “definitely worth the trip.”
Sales & Office Manager – Retail Store
The Fabric Center | Morris, Illinois Full-Time | Salary Aggressive Tiered Commission | Vacation & Sick Pay | 2 Saturdays/Month Required
About the Role
The Fabric Center is seeking a dynamic Sales & Office Manager to lead daily retail operations, drive machine and product sales, build customer relationships, and grow our presence across the sewing and textile community. This role blends retail management, sales leadership, vendor partnerships, inventory oversight, event support, and hands-on product education.
Ideal Candidate:
- Goal‑driven and sales‑oriented, with experience coaching and motivating a team
- Confident in managing transactions sizes up to $50,000
- Outgoing, personable, and confident engaging with customers, teammates, vendors, and community partners
- Positive and team‑focused, contributing to a supportive, collaborative store culture
- Organized, resourceful, and solutions‑driven, able to troubleshoot challenges and keep operations running smoothly
- Growth‑minded and motivated, eager to learn, improve, and elevate The Fabric Center’s sales, events, and customer experience
- A natural leader who sets expectations, inspires high performance, and leads by example
- Marketing‑minded, comfortable promoting products, classes, and events through in‑store engagement and community outreach
- Energetic with a can‑do attitude, ready to jump in, solve problems, and keep the store moving forward
- Passionate about sewing, textiles, and creative making, with genuine enthusiasm for helping customers explore new tools and techniques
- Comfortable presenting, teaching, and demonstrating, whether leading classes or showcasing machines
Key Responsiblities
Sales & Customer Experience
- Motivate and coach the sales/customer service team to achieve monthly revenue targets
- Sell sewing machines, fabrics, notions, and related products in a professional retail environment
- Demonstrate sewing and embroidery machines; educate customers on features, capabilities, and benefits
- Build and maintain a personal book of business through strong customer relationships
- Deliver exceptional customer service and ensure a welcoming, knowledgeable store environment
Business Development & Community Engagement
- Build a pipeline of new opportunities through outreach at the point of sales, schools, educational programs, guilds, and applicable businesses
- Represent The Fabric Center at events, workshops, community programs, and promotional activities
- Help drive attendance for in-store events, classes, and machine showcases
- Develop and maintain partnerships with key machine and fabric vendors
Retail Operations & Management
- Manage daily store operations, opening/closing procedures, and front-of-house workflow
- Create and roll out weekly staff schedules
- Oversee machine inventory: ordering, receiving, tracking, and merchandising
- Maintain accurate sales records, reporting, and monthly revenue tracking
- Ensure the store is clean, organized, and visually appealing
Training & Education
- Teach sewing classes and product demonstrations for customers at multiple skill levels
- Provide ongoing product sales training to staff
- Stay current on sewing technology, textile products, and industry trends
Compensation & Schedule
- Six figure salary aggressive tiered commission structure
- Vacation and sick pay included
- Full-time role requiring 2 Saturdays per month
Salary : $50,000