Summary of Position:
Thirty-Five Capital’s mission is to help start-up, early stage, and family businesses grow through the strategic infusion of capital and hands-on leadership. The firm’s focus is on sports and technology, with brands such as Paddletek Pickleball, Chicago Slice Pickleball, Homewood Bat, JAW Bats, and ProXR being part of the ever-growing portfolio. 35 Services offers Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Distribution, and back-office support to Thirty-Five Capital’s operating companies.
We are seeking an experienced Retail and Events Manager to lead the day-to-day operations, merchandising, sales, events, and customer experience of the Windy City Sports Outlet and support the broader retail presence of Thirty-Five Capital’s sports brands. The Retail and Events Manager will be responsible for creating an engaging, knowledgeable, and high-energy sports retail environment while ensuring the store is well-organized, properly merchandised, and operating efficiently. This individual will serve as a key brand ambassador for the company and its portfolio of sports brands, with a particular focus on pickleball, baseball, and other sporting goods. In addition to managing the retail store, this role will support merchandising and retail activations at Club Pickle and Padel, represent the company at tournaments and sporting events, coordinate and support Paddletek events, and help promote Windy City Sports Outlet through community engagement, social media, promotions, and other marketing initiatives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The ideal candidate will possess a tremendous amount of flexibility and resourcefulness regarding traditional duties and responsibilities. The work will continue to change; however, the following functions will form the foundation of the position.
Retail Store Management
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Windy City Sports Outlet retail store.
- Ensure the store is clean, organized, properly stocked, and consistently presents a professional and engaging shopping environment.
- Manage opening and closing procedures, daily store operations, and overall store readiness.
- Deliver an exceptional customer experience and develop strong relationships with customers and the local sports community.
- Greet customers, assist customers with product selection by understanding their needs and providing knowledgeable recommendations, answer questions about products and services, and handle customer complaints.
- Stay informed regarding current product offerings, promotions, and brand information.
- Operate and oversee the point-of-sale system, including purchases, returns, exchanges, and other transactions.
- Monitor inventory levels and coordinate receiving, stocking, product organization, tagging, and inventory counts.
- Help establish and maintain store sales goals and monitor performance.
- Identify opportunities to increase sales through promotions, product placement, cross-selling, and community engagement.
- Merchandising and Club Partnerships
- Manage and execute merchandising initiatives at Club Pickle and Padel and other strategic retail locations.
- Ensure products are displayed in a visually appealing, organized, and brand-consistent manner.
- Coordinate product placement, signage, displays, promotional materials, and seasonal merchandising.
- Work closely with internal teams and external partners to ensure retail displays effectively represent Paddletek and other portfolio brands.
- Identify opportunities to expand product visibility and sales within clubs, facilities, and other sporting venues.
- Travel locally and regionally as needed to support merchandising and retail initiatives.
- Events, Tournaments and Brand Representation
- Plan, coordinate, and participate in sporting events, tournaments, demonstrations, and other brand activations.
- Represent Paddletek and other Thirty-Five Capital brands at pickleball tournaments, sporting events, club events, and community activities.
- Support Paddletek-sponsored events, tournaments, demos, and player activations.
- Coordinate tournament presence, including product displays, retail sales, promotional materials, and event logistics.
- Help organize and execute events designed to increase brand awareness, customer engagement, and sales.
- Serve as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic representative of the company's sports brands.
- Build relationships with players, clubs, tournament organizers, coaches, retailers, and members of the broader sports community.
- Social Media and Promotions
- Support social media efforts for Windy City Sports Outlet and related retail initiatives.
- Help develop and execute promotions, special events, product launches, and in-store campaigns.
- Create or coordinate engaging content highlighting products, events, promotions, and the Windy City Sports Outlet experience.
- Identify opportunities to increase local awareness and drive customers to the retail store.
- Collaborate with marketing and brand teams on promotional initiatives and campaigns.
- Monitor local sports and pickleball trends to identify opportunities for community engagement and sales.
Qualifications:
- 10–15 years of progressive retail, sporting goods, merchandising, sales, events, or related experience.
- Strong knowledge of and passion for sports, particularly pickleball and baseball.
- Demonstrated experience managing retail store operations and customer-facing environments.
- Experience with sporting goods, athletic apparel, equipment, or specialty retail strongly preferred.
- Experience with merchandising, product displays, retail promotions, or brand activations.
- Experience organizing or supporting sporting events, tournaments, demonstrations, or community events preferred.
- Strong understanding of retail sales principles and customer engagement.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving abilities.
- Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of responsibilities.
- Energetic, outgoing, and comfortable representing a sports brand in public settings.
- Comfortable using technology, POS systems, social media platforms, and other retail/business systems.
- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends, evenings, holidays, tournaments, and special events.
- Ability to travel locally and regionally as needed.
What We’ll Provide:
- Competitive compensation of $30/hr and benefits.
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan with company match
- Professional development opportunities
- Smart casual dress environment