HOCKEY PRO SHOP – GENERAL MANAGER
Chilly’s Pro Shop
Outpost Ice Arenas / New Mexico Ice Wolves
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Chilly’s Pro Shop at the Outpost Ice Arenas, home of the New Mexico Ice Wolves, is seeking a responsible, energetic and business-minded Pro Shop & Retail Manager to have primary responsibility for the operation, performance and growth of Chilly’s.
Named after the New Mexico Ice Wolves mascot, Chilly’s is the only hockey and skate shop in New Mexico, serving hockey players, figure skaters, families and visitors to the Outpost Ice Arenas. Chilly’s is also the home of official New Mexico Ice Wolves apparel, jerseys and merchandise, both in-store and through our online store.
In addition, Chilly’s handles special orders for customers and provides custom uniforms and apparel for teams and other organizations — an area of the business with significant potential for additional growth.
We are looking for someone who will be fully responsible and accountable for the successful day-to-day operation of Chilly’s while continually looking for opportunities to improve customer service, merchandise selection, sales and profitability.
Hockey, figure skating or sporting-goods experience is a plus, but it is not required. Strong retail management skills, reliability, organization, initiative, good judgment and the ability and desire to learn are more important.
Primary Responsibilities
Retail Operations & Staff Management
- Manage all aspects of the day-to-day operation of Chilly’s Pro Shop.
- Recruit, train, schedule and supervise additional Pro Shop staff as needed to provide appropriate coverage.
- Ensure the shop is properly staffed during regularly scheduled business hours, busy arena hours, games, tournaments and special events.
- Provide and maintain a high standard of customer service.
- Maintain an organized, professional, well-stocked and attractive retail environment.
- Manage point-of-sale transactions, returns, cash handling and other retail procedures.
- Monitor sales, expenses and product performance and identify opportunities to improve revenue and profitability.
Purchasing, Inventory & Special Orders
- Manage purchasing and inventory for hockey equipment, skates, accessories, apparel and other products.
- Maintain appropriate inventory levels while avoiding unnecessary overstock.
- Understand and manage product costs, pricing, margins and inventory turns.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with manufacturers, distributors and vendors.
- Identify new products and categories appropriate for Chilly’s customers.
- Ensure that key products, sizes and essential equipment are available when customers need them.
- Efficiently accept, place, track and fulfill customer special orders for sizes, equipment, apparel and other items that are not currently in stock.
- Communicate clearly with customers regarding special-order pricing, availability and expected delivery.
- Follow special orders through completion to ensure customers receive the correct products promptly.
Hockey & Figure Skating
- Develop the product knowledge necessary to confidently assist hockey players and figure skaters with equipment and skate purchases.
- Understand or learn proper sizing and fitting of skates and hockey equipment.
- Develop familiarity with major hockey and skating brands, product lines and equipment options.
- Coordinate skate sharpening with the appropriate Outpost Ice Arenas personnel and ensure that customer skates are properly received, tracked and returned.
- Stay current on equipment trends and the needs of local hockey and figure skating customers.
New Mexico Ice Wolves Merchandise
- Have primary responsibility for the selection, purchasing, merchandising and sale of New Mexico Ice Wolves apparel, jerseys and merchandise.
- Continually develop new merchandise ideas that appeal to fans, players and families.
- Coordinate merchandise inventory and sales for Ice Wolves games, special events and promotional opportunities.
- Work with vendors to source quality merchandise at appropriate costs and margins.
- Help grow the Ice Wolves merchandise business both inside and outside the arena.
Online Store
- Manage and service Chilly’s online store for New Mexico Ice Wolves merchandise and apparel.
- Keep online merchandise, sizes, inventory and product information current and accurate.
- Ensure online orders are processed, fulfilled and shipped promptly and accurately.
- Coordinate online and in-store inventory as appropriate.
- Respond efficiently to customer questions, exchanges, special requests and other online-store needs.
- Identify opportunities to increase online merchandise sales and improve the customer experience.
Custom Uniforms, Apparel & Special Orders
- Manage custom team uniform and apparel orders from initial inquiry through delivery.
- Work with customers and vendors on product selection, artwork, pricing, production and delivery.
- Ensure custom orders are accurate, appropriately priced and delivered on time.
- Maintain organized records and communication throughout the ordering process.
- Develop relationships with teams, schools, businesses and other organizations that could purchase uniforms, apparel or customized merchandise.
- Help expand this portion of Chilly’s business beyond hockey and identify new revenue opportunities.
What We’re Looking For
The successful candidate should be:
- Responsible, dependable and highly organized.
- Comfortable being fully accountable for the operation and performance of a small retail business.
- Experienced in retail management, purchasing, inventory management, sporting goods, apparel or a related field.
- Capable of recruiting, scheduling, training and supervising part-time staff.
- Excellent with customers and able to work effectively with adults, young athletes and families.
- Comfortable making purchasing and merchandising decisions.
- Detail-oriented, particularly with inventory, special orders and custom orders.
- Able to understand costs, pricing, margins and basic retail financial performance.
- Comfortable using point-of-sale, inventory, e-commerce and basic business software.
- Willing and able to learn hockey and figure skating equipment if not already familiar with it.
- Able to work a schedule that includes some evenings and weekends based on arena activity, games and events.
- Motivated to find ways to grow the business rather than simply maintain the existing operation.
Experience with hockey, figure skating, sporting goods, e-commerce, team sales, apparel, uniforms, embroidery, screen printing or sublimation is valuable, but not required for the right retail management candidate.
The Opportunity
Chilly’s is a unique specialty retail business combining several opportunities under one roof:
- The only hockey and skate shop in New Mexico
- A built-in customer base at the Outpost Ice Arenas
- Official New Mexico Ice Wolves jerseys, apparel and merchandise
- Hockey and figure skating equipment and accessories
- An established Ice Wolves online merchandise store
- Special-order sales for customers
- Team uniforms and custom apparel
- The opportunity to expand custom merchandise and uniform sales beyond hockey
We are looking for someone who wants to be responsible for the successful operation of Chilly’s and help us make it an even better and more successful retail business.
Compensation
Competitive compensation based on experience and qualifications, with the potential for performance-based incentives tied to the success and growth of the business.
To Apply
Please submit a resume along with a brief note describing your retail, management, sporting goods, apparel, e-commerce, team sales or other relevant experience and why you would be a good fit to manage Chilly’s Pro Shop.
Position available immediately.
