Director of Retail Expansion

Proper Cloth is a leader in the direct-to-consumer men’s custom clothing market. Our vision is to build a leading, global, luxury menswear brand.

We see a future where people don’t buy clothes in sizes that don’t fit or styles they don’t love. A future where perfect, custom fit clothing is made on-demand for a superior customer experience and a more efficient supply chain.

Some quick stats about us:

• 70 employees (June 2023)
• Headquartered in Soho, New York
• Over 200,000 customers worldwide
• Over $40m annual revenue and profitable

There aren’t many businesses like ours: half fashion brand, half tech-startup. We've been called “Our New Favorite Online Custom Shirtmaker” by GQ magazine and “One of the most successful made-to-measure e-commerce sites” by Esquire. We’re profitable and growing. We’re ambitious and committed to building something that lasts.

Brick and Mortar Retail at Proper Cloth

Proper Cloth originally launched in 2008 as an ecommerce, direct-to-consumer brand. At the time we didn’t imagine we’d ever want brick and mortar locations. But over the years it’s become clear that providing customers a physical showroom to visit is hugely beneficial. At our showrooms, customers can touch fabrics in person, be measured for their first shirt or suit, or just consult with a custom clothing expert. Our first two New York showrooms have been incredibly successful, with customers traveling hundreds of miles to visit, and many days being fully booked weeks in advance.

So we’ve decided now is the time to expand our showroom concept. We’ll be working hard to open new locations, and to develop the processes and systems that enable us to smoothly launch and mange these exciting new operations.

The Challenge

Developing an understanding of new cities, neighborhoods, buildings and specific locations is full of challenges. Negotiating leases is complicated and full of risk. Managing design planning and construction can quickly become overwhelming. We want to move fast, but we can’t afford to be sloppy or make expensive mistakes. We need to contain our costs on construction, but we need to ensure our physical stores live up to the luxury brand we aspire to be.

The Opportunity

We believe we have an opportunity to create the next great luxury menswear brand — a unique brand with a more efficient supply chain and a superior customer experience, all driven by custom, made-to-order products.

Today we’re the largest men’s custom shirtmaker in the world, but we’re still a small player in the overall menswear and luxury markets. And while we’re expecting significant growth in the coming years from product categories like custom suits and trousers, expanding our physical showroom presence presents a huge opportunity in itself.

Position: Director of Retail Expansion

We’re seeking a savvy leader to help bring the Proper Cloth showroom experience to new cities in the United States. This position will work directly with the CEO and support locating, negotiating and developing new showroom locations. Not only will you be hands-on in the details of specific new showroom development, you’ll also help us develop systems and practices to streamline future expansions.

This position is based in New York and will report directly to the CEO.

Requirements

• • Excellent project management skills - ability to stay organized and keep track of multiple projects simultaneously
  • Excellent communication skills - in person, on the phone, and over email. Experience preparing great presentations.
  • Excellent taste and brand intuition - familiarity with premium design and a good understanding of the Proper Cloth brand
  • High attention to detail
  • Resourceful - ability to leverage personal network and creatively find sources of information and opportunities
  • Ability to travel as required
  • Positive outlook - growth mindset
  • Strong work ethic - commitment to doing what it takes to get the job done
  • Strong desire to be the best
  • Respectful, humble
  • High integrity
• Desired Experience:
  • 5+ years of relevant experience
  • Real estate development
  • Retail store opening
  • Lease negotiating
  • Familiarity in Architectural design
  Responsibilities
  • Identify locations for future showrooms in new cities
    • Perform industry research of new areas, identify locations of competitors, related brands, major landmarks, attractions, and neighborhoods
    • Coordinate with local real-estate brokers to visit cities and tour possible locations
    • Produce presentations for CEO to understand location options, advantages/disadvantages
  • Design layout test-fits
    • Put together basic test fits for potential spaces to help our team understand what sort of layout would be possible
  • Coordinate initial offers and lease proposals
    • Coordinate with broker to develop proposals for new spaces
    • Support CEO with negotiating lease terms
  • Coordinate lease negotiations
    • Assist CEO and real-estate attorneys in final lease negotiations
  • Coordinate space design
    • Clearly convey company goals to architects, general contractors and vendors
    • Assist CEO and architects in floor-plan design, selecting finishings and fixtures
    • Work with fixture/furniture makers to develop special fixtures
    • Coordinate production of samples of tables and display racks
  • Coordinate space construction
    • Assist architects and contractors in construction and build out of space
    • Coordinate with internal merchandising team to stock showroom with necessary products
    • Ensure all necessary permitting and insurance is completed

Benefits

• Full Health Benefits
• Competitive 401(k)
• Generous discount on products
• Salary range: 150k-160k