Retail Business Development Manager

Retail Business Development Manager

Location: Kerala (Extensive field travel across the state)

Experience: 67 years

Industry: Retail (Mandatory)

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Role Summary

We are looking for an experienced Retail Business Development Manager who has strong exposure to retail expansion in Kerala. The candidate should have successfully worked with established retail brands and must possess hands-on experience in identifying and finalizing store locations, developing franchise partnerships, and driving retail network expansion. This role requires extensive market travel, strategic thinking, negotiation ability, and strong relationship management skills.

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Key Responsibilities

Retail Expansion & Store Development

Identify, evaluate, and finalize potential retail store locations across Kerala.

Conduct feasibility studies, catchment analysis, competition study, and ROI evaluation for prospective locations.

Coordinate with legal, projects, and operations teams for property documentation, approvals, and store opening execution.

Maintain a pipeline of potential properties and markets for future expansion.

Work closely with landlords, developers, real estate brokers, and mall management teams.

Franchise Development

Identify and onboard suitable franchise partners across Kerala.

Evaluate franchise capability including financial strength, business background, credibility, and market understanding.

Match right franchise partners with right store location opportunities (marry location and franchise).

Ensure franchise partners comply with brand guidelines, commercial terms, and operational standards.

Build long-term relationships with franchise partners to support growth.

Market Intelligence & Strategy

Conduct regular market visits to understand retail trends, new developments, competitor expansion, and emerging opportunities.

Prepare market expansion plans and city-wise roll-out strategies.

Provide management with data-based insights, proposals, and business cases.

Commercial & Negotiations

Negotiate rentals, deposits, franchise agreements, and commercial terms.

Work closely with finance and legal teams to finalize commercial closures.

Ensure profitable and sustainable expansion.

Internal Coordination

Liaise with Operations, Projects, Marketing, and HR teams to ensure smooth store launch.

Support pre-opening activities and handover to operations.

Travel Requirement

Extensive field travel across Kerala (80% field, 20% office work).

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Candidate Requirements

Experience

67 years of experience in Retail Business Development / Expansion.

Must have prior experience working with reputed retail brands or large-format retail chains.

Experience in franchise development will be a strong advantage.

Education

Graduate / Postgraduate in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, or related field (preferred but not mandatory if experience is strong).

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Skills & Competencies

Strong knowledge of Kerala retail geography and market dynamics.

Excellent network with landlords, property agents, and franchise investors.

Strong negotiation and commercial acumen.

Strategic thinking with execution capability.

Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

Self-driven, target-oriented, and willing to travel extensively.

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Number of new stores opened.

Quality and profitability of locations selected.

Number and quality of franchise partners onboarded.

Speed of site acquisition to store opening.

Cost efficiency and commercial negotiation success.

Market coverage and expansion milestones achieved.