General Sales Manager – Furniture, Appliance & Outlet Retailer
Location: Dubuque, Iowa
Compensation: $75,000–$135,000 Base Salary + Performance Bonus + Growth Opportunity
Relocation Assistance Available for Qualified Candidates
About Stu's Home Improvement Outlet
Stu's Home Improvement Outlet is one of the Midwest's fastest-growing furniture, appliance, and home improvement retailers. We specialize in furniture, appliances, scratch-and-dent merchandise, customer returns, overstock, closeouts, and liquidation inventory sold at exceptional value.
We are a high-volume, fast-paced operation with aggressive growth plans. Our goal is to build a scalable retail model and expand into multiple locations over the next decade.
We are seeking a proven General Manager who can take ownership of store operations, sales performance, inventory management, warehouse operations, deliveries, and team development.
This is not a desk job. This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who thrives in retail operations and enjoys building teams, improving performance, and driving growth.
Preferred Industry Background
Strong preference will be given to candidates with leadership experience in:
- Furniture Retail
- Appliance Retail
- Mattress Retail
- Home Furnishings
- Outlet Retail
- Overstock & Liquidation Retail
- Scratch-and-Dent Operations
- High-Ticket Commission-Based Retail
Experience leading commissioned sales teams is highly preferred.
Key ResponsibilitiesOperations Management
- Oversee all daily store operations including sales floor, warehouse, inventory flow, customer service, and deliveries
- Ensure efficient execution of company processes and procedures
- Maintain a clean, organized, customer-focused shopping environment
- Identify operational inefficiencies and implement solutions
Sales Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a commission-based sales team
- Set and manage daily, weekly, and monthly sales goals
- Improve close rates, average ticket size, and overall sales performance
- Train team members on customer engagement, objection handling, and closing techniques
- Create a culture of accountability and performance
Inventory & Merchandising
- Oversee receiving, pricing, merchandising, and inventory movement
- Ensure inventory moves from receiving to the sales floor quickly and efficiently
- Monitor inventory aging, turnover, and sell-through rates
- Optimize showroom presentation and product placement to maximize sales
Warehouse, Logistics & Deliveries
- Oversee warehouse operations and inventory accuracy
- Manage delivery scheduling, staging, and execution
- Improve delivery efficiency and customer satisfaction
- Resolve operational challenges related to logistics and fulfillment
Team Leadership & Development
- Recruit, hire, train, and retain top talent
- Establish clear expectations and accountability standards
- Conduct performance reviews and coaching sessions
- Develop future leaders within the organization
Financial & Performance Management
Monitor and improve key business metrics including:
- Sales Volume
- Gross Margin
- Close Rate
- Average Ticket
- Inventory Turnover
- Revenue Per Employee
- Customer Satisfaction
Qualifications:
Required Experience
- 5+ years in a leadership role within furniture, appliance, mattress, outlet, home furnishings, or liquidation retail
- Experience leading commissioned sales teams
- Proven track record increasing sales and profitability
- Experience managing inventory, merchandising, warehouse operations, and deliveries
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
Highly Desired
- Former General Manager, Store Director, Regional Manager, Director of Operations, or Multi-Unit Manager
- Experience purchasing furniture, appliances, liquidation, overstock, or closeout inventory
- Experience opening new locations or scaling retail operations
- Experience building high-performance sales cultures
What Success Looks LikeFirst 90 Days
- Evaluate current operations, personnel, and systems
- Improve sales team performance and accountability
- Increase showroom close rates
- Improve inventory flow and merchandising standards
- Strengthen warehouse and delivery operations
- Establish measurable KPIs and reporting systems
First 12 Months
- Significantly increase store revenue and profitability
- Build a stronger leadership team
- Develop scalable systems and processes
- Help position the company for future expansion
Not a Fit If You
- Prefer a slow-moving corporate environment
- Avoid accountability or performance management
- Are uncomfortable leading commissioned salespeople
- Require constant direction or supervision
- Prefer managing from an office rather than leading from the floor
Why This Opportunity Is Different
This is a rare opportunity to help build something significant.
The right candidate will have the opportunity to directly impact the future growth of the company and play a key leadership role as we expand into additional markets.
If selected for an interview, be prepared to discuss:
- How you would increase sales by 25% within the next 6 months
- How you would improve close rates with an existing sales team
- How you would prepare the business to grow from one location into multiple locations
If you are an experienced retail leader looking for an opportunity to make a meaningful impact and help build a growing company, we would love to hear from you.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
Application Question(s):
- We are currently ONLY accepting applications from candidates who have operational experience with furniture, flooring or appliances. Please explain in detail your experience, and why the position appeals to you?
Work Location: In person
