COMPANY OVERVIEW

KITS.ca is a leading provider of high-quality eyewear and vision care products. Based in Vancouver, KITS is a vertically integrated optical retailer — we design, manufacture, and ship eyewear and contact lenses directly to customers across North America. We are a growth-stage business with approximately $250M in annual revenue, with strong growth. We are building a retail footprint that brings the KITS experience into our community.

KITS Coffee and Eyewear is our flagship location, right across from Kitsilano Beach. We're building it to be more than a store — a place where people gather, connect, and discover their next favourite frames over a coffee. Help us inspire a new generation to see and be seen.

SUMMARY The Store Manager plays a vital role in fostering community engagement through our flagship store. We are looking for an inspiring leader who is passionate about creating an exceptional customer experience and driving a positive, energetic, and motivated team across our optical, retail and café operations.

As the leader of the store, you will oversee all aspects of operations, ensuring smooth day-to-day management while cultivating a vibrant community hub. Key responsibilities include driving sales, hiring, training, and developing a high-performing team, building strong relationships within the community, and positioning Kits as a welcoming space where people can gather, connect, and collaborate.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Leadership & Team Development

- Lead, coach and inspire a high-energy, customer-focused team
- Create a culture of collaboration, empowerment and excellence
- Recruit, hire and onboard all store employees, including Style Advisors and Baristas
- Provide ongoing training and coaching to ensure team success
- Work closely with the leadership team to develop and support their growth

Operations & Sales Management

- Oversee store operations, ensuring efficiency across all departments
- Manage inventory, including inventory replenishment, accuracy and representation
- Maintain visual merchandising standards across optical, retail and café
- Ensure seamless integration between optical, retail and cafe
- Stay aligned with KITS’ marketing initiatives and implement in-store activations

Financial & Administrative Oversight

- Oversee scheduling, payroll and store labour




- Develop sales strategies to meet revenue targets and KPIs
- Manage supplier relationships and negotiate the best pricing for inventory and supplies
- Adapt café beverage and bakery offerings based on industry trends and seasonality

Community & Customer Engagement

- Foster a collaborative, engaged community and create a world-class gathering space
- Develop and execute community events to drive engagement
- Build relationships with local businesses and community leaders for outreach initiatives
- Act as a brand ambassador, ensuring a welcoming, inclusive environment

Compliance & Standards

- Ensure adherence to health and safety regulations, making improvements as needed
- Maintain food preparation and equipment standards, implementing training where required
- Optimize scheduling and staffing to meet business and customer needs
- Oversee and execute store maintenance calendar

WHAT YOU BRING

Must-Haves

- 7+ years in a retail management role, with at least 1–2 years as a Store Manager, General Manager, or similar role responsible for executing against a store's P&L; and operating budget
- Direct experience managing a team of 10+ across multiple functions or departments — hiring, coaching, scheduling, and performance management
- Proven experience managing a full store's day-to-day operations — scheduling, inventory, and labour budget — not just one lane of it
- Experience negotiating with suppliers or vendors, or managing a budget beyond your own department
- Composure under pressure at the store level — you've managed real escalations across multiple teams and come out ahead
- Systems fluency — POS, scheduling, and inventory tools — plus comfort adopting new systems as the business evolves
- Available to work retail hours, including evenings, weekends, and peak periods
- Food Safe Level 1 certified
- Eligible to work in Canada

Nice-to-Haves

- Optical or eyewear category experience (LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Clearly, Hakim,



or similar)
- Experience at a DTC or growth-stage retailer (Warby Parker, Aritzia, Lululemon, Arc'teryx, Indochino, MEC, Mejuri, Frank & Oak, Allbirds)
- Experience with multi-site or flagship stores
- Experience building community or local partnerships as part of a store's growth strategy

How You Operate

- You act fast — when something's falling apart across any part of the store, you're the one solving it, not escalating and waiting
- You own outcomes, not just shifts — when something went wrong on your watch, you tell us what you did about it and what changed after
- You build the team, not just run it — your team's growth is a measure of your success, and they'd say the same about you
- You're comfortable building in ambiguity — this is a flagship, and parts of the playbook don't exist yet
- You think like an operator across the whole business — optical, retail, and café aren't separate problems to you, they're one store
- You measure yourself by results — revenue, retention, community presence — not hours logged

COMPENSATION The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $75,000-105,000. The final aligned upon salary will be dependent on the successful candidate’s relevant skills, experience, and job-related knowledge.

BENEFITS & PERKS

- Competitive compensation with bonus potential
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
- Employee Share Purchase Plan (ESPP)
- Complimentary KITS frames and generous contact lens discount for you and your immediate family
- Direct access to senior leaders across Retail, People, and Operations
- A friendly, supportive work environment where the team takes the work seriously and does not take itself too seriously

WORKING CONDITIONS

- Standing for a full shift is required
- Regularly lifting up to 25 lbs (frames, inventory cartons, fixtures)
- Bending, reaching, and moving across the sales floor throughout the shift
- Retail hours including evenings, weekends, and peak periods

EQUAL CHANCE

KITS is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and are committed to a workplace that reflects the communities we serve. Accommodations are available throughout the hiring process — just let us know what you need.

📌 Store Manager (Vancouver)
🏢 KITS.COM (TSX:KITS)
📍 Vancouver