Retail Store Manager - London

We review applications on a rolling basis and may close the advert early if we receive a high volume of applications.

We’re turning up the red at Battersea Power Station. Our new Virgin Atlantic Holidays flagship store is coming - and that’s not the only exciting thing we’ve got up our sleeve. We're delighted to share that we’re further expanding our retail presence in London, with three new stores opening between October and February. Watch this space...

At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world. At Virgin Atlantic Holidays, we help our guests do exactly that by creating unforgettable holidays, brilliant experiences and memories that last long after they come home.

We are on an exciting journey as we return to London and shape a new era of premium travel. This is your opportunity to lead a standalone Virgin Atlantic Holidays store, build a brilliant team and bring our much-loved brand to life in one of the world’s most exciting travel markets.

In a nutshell

Our retail stores are more than places to book holidays. They are where curiosity starts, dreams become plans and our guests get the confidence to holiday to the fullest.

As Retail Store Manager , you will lead a flagship standalone store in a prestigious capital city destination, representing one of the UK's most recognisable travel brands in a high-profile retail environment. You'll create a welcoming, high-performing culture where guests feel inspired and colleagues feel proud, supported, and motivated to succeed.

This is a role for someone who can balance commercial performance with real warmth and personality. You will be responsible for driving sales, developing your team, building local relationships and making sure every guest interaction reflects the energy, care and confidence that make Virgin Atlantic Holidays different.

Day to day

You will set the tone for the store. Leading from the front, you will inspire your team to deliver trusted, personalised holiday advice and create exceptional experiences at every touchpoint.

Working alongside our award-winning Retail team who share your passion and dedication to delivering outstanding guest service, you will:

• Lead your store to deliver sales, guest experience and people performance targets, using insight and data to drive continuous improvement
• Coach, develop and inspire a team of Retail Advisors to deliver personalised holiday experiences and exceptional service at every touchpoint
• Create a positive, inclusive and high-performing team culture where colleagues feel motivated, supported and empowered
• Build relationships within the local community and with key partners to grow brand awareness, attract new guests and drive commercial performance
• Bring the Virgin Atlantic Holidays brand to life through every guest conversation, local activity and team interaction
• Champion innovation, embrace change and help your team feel confident through new ways of working
• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the store, ensuring compliance with policies, health and safety, data protection and operational standards
• Act as the key escalation point for the store while working closely with the Divisional Manager and wider support teams to deliver operational excellence

About You

You will be a passionate and inspiring leader who gets the best out of people. You will care about performance, but you will know that great results come from engaged teams, trusted relationships and exceptional guest experiences.

You will bring

• Proven experience leading a team to achieve sales, guest and operational performance targets, ideally within a retail, travel or hospitality environment
• A natural coach who enjoys developing others, building confidence and creating an engaged, high-performing team culture
• Strong commercial awareness, using data, market insight and local opportunities to drive business performance and guest acquisition
• The ability to create an energised, inclusive and high-performing team culture
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the confidence to influence and collaborate with colleagues, suppliers and stakeholders
• Resilience, adaptability and a positive approach to change
• A guest-first mindset, with the ability to make every interaction feel personal, thoughtful and memorable

Retail management experience is desirable, but we are equally interested in inspirational leaders from retail, travel, hospitality or guest-focused environments who bring commercial thinking, people leadership and a passion for creating brilliant experiences.

Why Virgin Atlantic Holidays?

This is your chance to lead a store with personality, purpose and ambition. You will be part of a brand known for doing things differently, challenging the ordinary and putting people at the heart of travel.

You will have the opportunity to shape a store culture, grow a team, connect with your local community and help guests create holidays they will never forget. You will also have access to a range of learning and leadership development programmes to support your progression and help you build the next stage of your career.

What we offer

With our blended training programme, you'll be able to confidently recommend and sell holidays, ensuring our guests have the best store experience!

And that's not all! You'll also enjoy these fantastic perks

• Industry-leading Staff Travel benefits with up to seven flights a year to any Virgin Atlantic destination (did someone say Barbados?)
• Go above and beyond and get rewarded for it. Our uncapped commission scheme rewards great guest experiences and outstanding sales performance, giving you the opportunity to significantly increase your earnings.
• Explore a range of learning programmes, available both online and in person, to support your personal and professional development.
• Generous contributory pension scheme and life assurance
• Our iconic Vivienne Westwood uniform in your choice of styles!

If you are ready to lead an inspiring team, build a standout store and help our guests holiday to the fullest, we would love to hear from you.

Be yourself – Our differences make us stronger

Our guests come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong.

To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, ( [email hidden]) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered.

Our recipe for Leadership

At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here