Seasonal Retail Associate

JUNK Brands is opening its first true flagship retail store in downtown Bentonville, built around our performance headbands, hats, apparel, and accessories. We're looking for Seasonal Retail Associates to help us deliver a great in-store experience during our busiest periods: holidays, race weekends, First Friday, product drops, and community events.

As a Seasonal Associate, you'll be on the sales floor helping customers, ringing sales, keeping the store stocked and looking sharp, and making every visitor feel welcome. You'll work closely with the Store Manager and the part-time team, and you'll help turn visitors, whether tourists, cyclists, runners, or locals, into repeat JUNK customers and community members.

This is a hands-on, high-energy role for someone who loves talking with people and wants to be part of a growing brand with deep roots in the Bentonville running, cycling, and outdoor community.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Sales & Customer Experience

• Greet and engage every customer, using product knowledge to recommend the right headbands, hats, apparel, and accessories.
• Support a selling culture on the floor by helping drive conversion, average order value, and units per transaction.
• Process sales, exchanges, and returns accurately on Shopify POS, following cash-handling procedures.
• Represent the JUNK brand so the store feels unmistakably like JUNK for every visitor.

Product Drops, Events & Peak Periods

• Support bi-weekly product drops, including setup, display, line management, and customer flow.
• Work in-store events and activations planned with the Community Engagement Coordinator, including setup, selling, and teardown.
• Staff high-traffic periods between November 9, 2026 - December 24, 2026 such as Bentonville square holiday events, race weekends, First Friday, and launches.

Inventory & Merchandising

• Replenish the floor from back stock and keep back stock organized so product is easy to find.
• Assist with cycle counts, transfers, and inventory accuracy in Shopify.

Omnichannel & Community

• Invite customers to join JUNK's email and introduce them to our online store and custom program.
• Handle in-store pickup orders and returns of online purchases.
• Flag custom-order opportunities and pass customer feedback (what people are asking for and buying) to the Store Manager.

Store Operations

• Follow opening and closing procedures, cash handling, cleanliness, safety, and loss-prevention standards.
• Keep the sales floor, fitting area, and checkout clean, stocked, and organized.
• Escalate customer or operational issues to the Store Manager promptly.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills & Competencies

• Friendly, outgoing, and confident starting conversations with customers.
• Strong customer-service and sales instincts; comfortable being on your feet and on the floor all shift.
• Comfort learning POS and inventory systems; Shopify POS experience is a plus.
• Basic comfort with numbers, including making change and handling cash accurately.
• Reliable, punctual, and able to follow procedures and standards consistently.
• Takes direction well and also takes initiative when the floor needs attention.
• Works well on a small team and stays positive during busy, fast-paced periods.
• Good attention to detail when stocking, merchandising, and processing transactions.

Education & Qualifications

Required

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Currently enrolled in high school, or holds a high school diploma or GED.
• No prior work experience required. We'll train you on product, POS, and store procedures.
• Availability during the season, including after school, weekends, some evenings, event days, and school holiday breaks.
• Ability to commit to the full seasonal period November 9th - December 24th.

Preferred

• Any customer-facing experience, such as a previous part-time or summer job, food service, babysitting, or volunteering.
• Involvement in school sports, cross country, track, cycling, or other team activities. You don't have to be an athlete, but you should enjoy talking with them.
• Comfortable with technology, including phones, tablets, apps, and social media.
• Experience working events, fundraisers, or other busy, fast-paced settings.

Seasonal Note: Strong-performing seasonal associates may be invited back for summer and future holiday seasons, or considered for ongoing part-time roles as the store grows, including future roles supporting our in-store customization experience launching in 2027.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to stand and/or walk for 90% of the shift and occasionally reach, bend, and move inside the store to move product. May occasionally climb stairs or ladders.
• Fine motor skills: required use of wrists, hands, and fingers to handle, fold, tag, and inspect product.
• Ability to lift and move up to 40 lbs.
• Close visual acuity to perform POS and computer tasks and to distinguish colors.
• Ability to communicate clearly and exchange accurate information with customers and team members.

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.