Sales Manager – Independent Toy & Family Retail (UK)
Location: Pangbourne office (UK) – hybrid flexibility Reports to: Managing Director
Join a successful smart distributor with 10+ years of growth, operating across the UK and Netherlands. We deliver innovative supply chain solutions to retail and strategic partners, with a strong focus on toy, gift, and family-oriented brands. We’re seeking a senior sales leader to own and accelerate our independent retail channel — driving new account acquisition, range expansion, and profitable national growth.
Role Purpose Lead the independent toy, gift, and family retail channel across the UK. Build a high-performance sales team, grow the active customer base, increase product penetration per account, and deliver consistent, profitable revenue growth through hands-on execution and strategic development.
Key Responsibilities
*Define and execute the UK independent retail strategy, targeting toy stores, gift shops, garden centres, family attractions, museum shops, educational retailers, and buying groups
*Lead new account acquisition, onboarding, range selection, and merchandising support
*Drive assortment expansion, cross-selling, promotions, and brand penetration in existing accounts
*Recruit, train, coach, and lead field/internal sales teams with clear KPIs, call standards, and performance reviews
*Own revenue targets, forecasting, pipeline management, and CRM discipline
*Collaborate with brand partners on joint plans, activations, training, and incentives
*Represent at trade shows; feed market insights to Purchasing, Stock, and range development
*Work cross-functionally with Customer Service, IT, and Operations to support growth
*Deliver monthly KPI reports to senior management
Key Performance Indicators
*Growth in active independent accounts
*Revenue and margin growth by channel/region
*Average SKUs per active account
*New account conversion and onboarding success
*Forecast accuracy and pipeline coverage
*Sales team performance vs targets
Essential Skills & Experience
*Senior sales leadership in UK toy, gift, FMCG, or consumer goods distribution
*Proven success building independent retail networks and scaling sales teams
*Strong knowledge of specialist independents, buying groups, and regional formats
*Excellent negotiation, coaching, commercial planning, and CRM expertise
Personal Attributes
*Entrepreneurial, energetic, and growth-driven
*Strong people leader and talent developer
*Structured, disciplined, and commercially sharp
*Credible with retailers and brand partners
What We Offer
*Leadership role owning a national independent channel strategy
*Competitive salary + performance-based commission/bonus
*Opportunity to build a specialist channel with leading toy/family brands
*Board-level exposure and long-term progression in a growing business
Apply with your CV and a key achievement in independent retail growth or team development.