Costume Hire Retail Assistant

Job Introduction

We are looking for a Costume Hire Retail Assistant to join us here at Cotswold Costumes. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic individual who will assist us in the day-to-day running and maintenance of our store. Enthusiasm is as important to us as experience so please apply even if you don’t have all the experience required.

This role offered is permanent for 25 hours a week. The hours will be Monday 12-5pm, Wednesday 2-7pm, Thursday 2-7pm, Friday 12-5pm and Saturday 10-3pm. These hours are non-negotiable, please only apply if you can work all these hours.

The role will start from the beginning of August, exact dates will be discussed at interview.

About Cotswold Costumes

Cotswold Costumes is a costume hire shop based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. We are known for an infamous costume hire to a certain member of the royal family, and have been a firm fixture within Gloucestershire since 1982. Beginning its life as Nailsworth Dramatic Society’s small costume store, we have grown to around 7000 costumes and 5000 accessories. The stock is filled with high quality unique items and is hired by theatre groups, schools/universities, film crews and individuals for events and parties.

Role

In this role you will:

• Administer the daily running of the hire service, including sorting out pre-booked orders, checking items in and out and returning items back to the rails;
• Provide information and assistance to customers about their costume requirements and process costume hire bookings and sales;
• Administration around costume supply including invoicing and booking.
• Pull items out of the stock in advance for customers;
• Assist in minor alterations required (reattach buttons etc);
• Help theatre groups and schools choose, measure and style costumes for theatre shows;
• Assist in the care, maintenance and repair of the collection;
• Assist in the promotion and marketing of the store including helping to generate social media posts and images and creating costume displays;
• Answer enquires via phone, email and social media;
• Organise and display retail products;

Role Hours:

25 Hours per week (Monday 12-5pm, Wednesday 2-7pm, Thursday 2-7pm, Friday 12-5pm, Saturday 10-3pm)

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• An interest in costume or fashion;
• A knowledge of theatre shows and chronology of fashion history or the interest in learning;
• A eye for costume styling;
• Some basic sewing and repair skills (sewing buttons, hems etc);
• Excellent customer service skills;
• Friendly, open and enthusiastic manner;
• Good written and communication skills across various platforms (telephone, email, face to face)
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills;
• Some previous retail experience would be beneficial but not essential;
• Ability to work well under pressure and be flexible;
• Good knowledge of basic IT systems such as Excel and social media platforms;
• Able to work independently and within a team;

Interview

Successful candidates will be invited to a short interview at our store. The interviews will take place around the end of June.

Apply

To apply please attach a CV (including 2 references) and short cover letter about yourself and your experience. Please contact us if you have any questions about the role before applying.

If you haven't heard from us by the beginning of July then you have been unsuccessful for this role.

Job Type: Permanent

Salary: £10.50 per hour

Schedule:

• Day shift

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Nailsworth, GL6 0BE: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Application question(s):

• Do you have basic sewing skills (i.e. buttons, use of sewing machine, hemming, etc)?

Experience:

• customer service/retail: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 16/06/2023