Freakins - Head - Offline Distribution & Expansion (5-15 yrs)

Head of Offline Distribution & Expansion

Location: Mumbai (Base) with extensive travel across India

Reporting To: Founder/CEO

Experience: 8 to 12 years in offline retail, preferably in fashion/apparel, with strong experience in EBO expansion and retail operations.

Compensation: Best in Industry + Performance-Based Incentives

About Freakins:

- Freakins is a fast-growing, digitally native denim brand now aggressively expanding its Exclusive Brand Outlet (EBO) presence across India.

- We are scaling from 2 to 20 stores in the next 18 months, followed by a hyper-growth phase to 150 stores through a mix of Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) and Company-Owned, Franchise-Operated (COFO) models.

- We are looking for a real owner-someone who can build, scale, and optimize our offline retail network while ensuring a best-in-class customer experience.

Role Overview:

- This is a high-ownership role requiring someone who can operate with speed, precision, and deep customer obsession.

The ideal candidate:

- Understands retail deeply-not just store openings, but also the science of retail operations.

- Can set up bulletproof processes for inventory management, store operations, and weekly replenishments.

- Has a strong sales and customer experience mindset-loves the art of selling, merchandising, and retail execution.

- Is process-driven yet highly creative-knows how to standardize retail operations while making each store a unique experience.

- Loves travel and thrives in an on-ground retail environment-this role involves extensive travel across metros, Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities.

Key Responsibilities:

Retail Expansion & Store Openings:

- Own the entire retail rollout from 2 to 20 stores in 18 months, then scale to 150+ stores.

- Identify, negotiate, and finalize store locations in high streets, malls, and key retail hubs across metros, T1, and T2 cities.

- Work with brokers, landlords, and mall developers to secure the best locations at the best commercial terms.

- Project manage store fit-outs & launches-ensure every store opens on time, within budget, and with a seamless customer experience.

Retail Operations & Inventory Management:

- Develop and implement inventory drop and pickup systems to ensure stores are stocked optimally every week.

- Work closely with the warehouse team to ensure just-in-time replenishment and reduce inventory holding costs.

- Build a data-driven approach to demand forecasting and assortment planning at the store level.

- Set up SOPs for stock audits, shrinkage control, and returns management.

Hiring, Training & Managing On-Ground Staff:

- Hire, train, and manage store managers, retail staff, and sales teams across all locations.

- Develop training programs on customer experience, product knowledge, and high-conversion selling techniques.

- Build a strong performance & incentive structure to drive staff motivation and high sales productivity.

Customer Experience & Visual Merchandising:

- Obsess over customer experience-design stores that reflect Freakins' brand DNA and provide a high-touch, high-impact shopping experience.

- Implement best-in-class visual merchandising to maximize store engagement and product discovery.

- Work closely with marketing & branding teams to ensure stores align with broader brand campaigns and storytelling.

Sales & Growth Optimization:

- Drive footfall & sales conversions across all stores-analyze data to optimize store layouts, product placements, and staff efficiency.

- Implement customer retention strategies, loyalty programs, and in-store events to boost repeat purchases.

- Monitor store KPIs (sales per sq. ft., conversion rates, basket size, etc.) and continuously improve performance.

Retail Strategy & Franchise Management:

- Develop a scalable playbook for COCO & COFO expansion to enable smooth replication at 100+ stores.

- Build franchisee onboarding & operational support frameworks for future COFO expansion.

- Identify and cultivate relationships with potential franchise partners, investors, and retail collaborators.

Who You Are:

Must-Have Skills & Mindset:

- Retail Execution Pro: Has led EBO expansion and operations for a fashion or lifestyle brand. Knows how to set up and scale stores seamlessly.

- Process-Oriented & Analytical: Can design systems for inventory flow, store efficiency, and retail optimization. Loves data-driven decision-making.

- Customer-Obsessed: Understands the emotions and psychology of offline shoppers and can create a high-impact retail experience.

- Expert in People & Sales Management: Can hire, train, and motivate retail teams to deliver exceptional performance.

- Merchandising & Store Design Acumen: Knows assortment planning, visual merchandising, and layout optimization.

- Thrives in Fast-Paced Growth: Comfortable with travel, multi-location execution, and aggressive scaling.

- Entrepreneurial Ownership: Operates with founder-level accountability and a deep sense of responsibility for the offline business.

Preferred Qualifications:

- 5 to 12 years experience in offline retail expansion & operations (fashion/apparel industry preferred).

- Proven track record of scaling EBOs, COCO, and COFO retail models.

- Strong commercial acumen-knows how to negotiate leases, control store P&L, and drive profitability.

- Experience working with warehouse & inventory teams to optimize stock flow across a multi-store network.

- Hands-on leadership style-loves being on the ground, in the stores, solving real retail challenges.

Why Join Freakins?

- Fast-Scaling Brand: Be part of the most exciting denim brand as we transition from digital-first to a dominant offline player.

- Build India's Next Big Retail Network: Own the end-to-end rollout of 150+ stores in the next 3 years.

- Industry-Best Compensation & Growth: Work with high ownership, high rewards, and a massive career trajectory.

- Innovate & Disrupt Fashion Retail: Join a team that values creativity, execution excellence, and customer obsession.