Retail Area Manager at POP MART in Milan, Lombardy, IT

Founded in 2010, POP MART is a leading global pop culture and entertainment company. With IP at its core, POP MART works with artists and designers worldwide to develop and operate IPs, creating products, services and entertainment experiences for consumers. Its portfolio includes beloved IP characters such as THE MONSTERS , TWINKLE TWINKLE, CRYBABY, DIMOO, SKULLPANDA, Hirono and MOLLY. As of the first half of 2026, POP MART had more than 100 million registered members worldwide, operated 676 physical stores and over 2,800 ROBO SHOP vending machines, and reached nearly 100 countries and regions through cross-border e-commerce platforms,bringing joy to consumers around the world.

Industry: Designer toys and collectible pieces

Location: Milan (Cordusio M1)

Job type: Full time - Permanent

Working Hours: 40 hours per week

Salary Range: 45k - 55k

About POP MART

Founded in 2010, POP MART is a market-leading entertainment company and a global champion of designer toy culture. Through global artist development, IP operations, and designer toy culture evangelism, we have built an integrated platform covering the entire designer toy value chain. Besides our original and iconic IPs such as Molly, Hirono, Skullpanda, and LABUBU, POP MART collaborates with top-tier toys and lifestyle brands including Disney, Universal Studios, and Sanrio to create collectible art toys featuring their iconic characters.

POP MART has established a strong presence across key European markets, including Spain, Italy, Netherlands, France, and the UK. As part of our strategic growth initiatives, we are focused on expanding our retail network into additional high-potential markets across Europe, continuing to strengthen our brand's position in the region.

For more information, please visit www.popmart.com and our LinkedIn Career page.

What to Expect

POP MART is a fast-paced company with a young and multicultural team where you can expect to:

• Gain valuable professional experience covering the entire retail life cycle
• Have the opportunity to work with people from different countries and cultures in a collaborative environment
• Receive structured customer service, retail operations, and product training
• Be proactively involved in the company’s growth

Benefits

POP MART offers our employees:

• Selected POP MART toys as appreciation gifts every month
• Comprehensive training and development programs
• Regular team social events
• Corporate Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• A structured bonus/commission scheme in line with the company’s and the individual’s performance

The Role and Candidate

The Area Manager will be responsible for overseeing all POP MART stores in Italy, ensuring seamless daily operations, sales performance and an exceptional customer experience. This is a hybrid role that requires a hands-on approach to store management while also supporting broader retail operations in Italy.

Responsibilities

Operations & Store Performance

• Oversee daily operations of all existing and upcoming store locations in the Italian market, ensuring operational excellence, efficiency, cleanliness and high service standards
• Conduct regular store visits and audits to assess performance, service quality, visual standards and operational compliance
• Act as the main point of contact for operational challenges and opportunities, ensuring smooth communication and fast problem resolution
• Support future store openings in Italy, providing operational guidance, best practices and on-site support

Sales, Strategy & Financial Management

• Monitor sales performance, analyse trends and KPIs and identify areas for improvement
• Develop and implement strategies to optimize revenue, profitability, labor efficiency and cost control
• Contribute to the development of annual business plans and budgets for the area, tracking performance against targets
• Report regularly on area performance, risks and opportunities to senior management

Merchandising & Inventory

• Support store teams in executing merchandising plans, product launches and marketing initiatives
• Ensure consistent and appealing product displays aligned with brand guidelines
• Oversee inventory flow, stock control, availability and loss prevention, working closely with Supply Chain teams

Leadership & People Management

• Support the recruitment, onboarding and training of store managers and store-level staff
• Coach and motivate teams to achieve sales targets and deliver excellent customer service
• Conduct regular meetings and performance evaluations, fostering a strong performance-driven culture

Customer Experience & Compliance

• Ensure high standards of customer satisfaction and handle escalated customer issues when needed
• Ensure compliance with company SOPs, operational policies, safety standards and local retail regulations

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with internal teams such as Marketing, HR and Supply Chain as well as external stakeholders to continuously improve store operations and execution

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in retail operations with responsibility over multiple store locations, preferably within flagship or high-traffic retail environments
• Proven leadership experience with a strong track record in recruiting, coaching, motivating and developing store managers and store teams
• Solid business acumen with demonstrated ability to analyse sales performance, KPIs and financial data, including Opex management and cost control
• Strong operational background with hands-on experience in daily store operations, operational excellence and customer experience enhancement
• Ability to translate data insights into concrete strategic and operational improvements in a fast-paced retail environment
• Good understanding of visual merchandising principles, inventory management, loss prevention and retail compliance
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a practical and execution-oriented mindset
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions and stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and retail analytics tools
• Fluency in Italian and English, any other European language is a plus
• Short notice period is highly preferred

Desirable but Not Essential

• Experience in licensed merchandise, collectible toys, or designer product retail
• Familiarity with the Italian retail market and flagship store operations
• Experience in supporting new store openings and retail expansion projects

*POP MART is committed to equal pay initiatives and will not ask candidates for their current or past salary.

*As an Equal Opportunity Employer, POP MART does not discriminate against applicants or employees

because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, age, citizenship,

imarital or domestic/civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or because of

any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state or local law.