Retail Experience Designer

About Us:

ZABS Place is an employment training center and upscale thrift boutique in downtown Matthews. We're a non-profit focused on one core belief: Seeing potential in everyone and everything. We create meaningful training and employment opportunities for young adults with intellectual and developmental differences, helping them build real workplace skills through hands-on work in our store and warehouse. Our team members rotate through different departments as they learn and discover their passions and talents.

The Role:

As a Retail Experience Designer, you'll transform our thrift boutique into a destination shopping experience through inspired merchandising, genuine customer connection, and creative visual storytelling.

This is not just restocking shelves. You'll curate displays that stop customers in their tracks, build relationships that turn browsers into loyal shoppers, and work alongside our specially-talented employees to create an environment where everyone thrives—all while keeping sales strong and the store looking Instagram-worthy.

Requirements:

A creative eye and ability to see potential in donated items

Comfort working in a fast-paced, ever-changing retail environment

Flexibility—inventory changes daily and displays need constant refreshing

Natural sales ability that comes from enthusiasm, not pressure

Genuine appreciation for our mission and the young adults we employ

Standing for extended periods, using a step ladder, lifting and moving merchandise

What You'll Do:

1. Visual Merchandising & Store Design

Create eye-catching displays and vignettes that inspire customers to buy

Stage merchandise by style or theme to tell visual stories

Keep the sales floor organized, shoppable, and sales-driven

2. Customer Experience & Sales

Greet customers warmly and build authentic connections

Help shoppers find treasures and make recommendations

Share stories about our merchandise and mission

Turn browsers into buyers through genuine enthusiasm

3. Collaboration

Work respectfully alongside our specially-talented employees and coaching staff

Contribute ideas for displays, promotions, and customer engagement

Help maintain the creative energy ZABS Place is known for

What We're Looking For:

• 1+ year of experience in retail, visual merchandising, customer service, or related creative field
• Creative eye for design, color, and spatial composition
• Natural ability to connect with diverse customers and build rapport
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Patience, flexibility, and a positive can-do attitude

What Will Help You Succeed Here:

• Design mindset: You see how things could look better and have ideas to make it happen
• Sales through storytelling: You inspire purchases by creating desire, not applying pressure
• Comfort with unpredictability: Thrift retail changes daily—new inventory, different customers, evolving displays—and you find that energizing, not stressful
• Resourcefulness: You can make something beautiful out of anything
• Genuine passion for our mission: You're excited about working in an inclusive environment where young adults of all abilities are valued team members

Our Culture

We believe in inclusion, ability awareness, and personal growth. We recognize and celebrate what people CAN do. We work as a team to create a space where everyone—trainees, team members, and customers—is valued for their unique contributions.

If you're the kind of person who sees potential in people and things, and wants to create retail experiences that excite and attract customers, we want to meet you.

Location: 100 N. Trade St., Matthews, NC

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