Retail Assistant Manager – Retail Food Store George

Location: George, Garden Route, Western Cape, South Africa

Reference Number: Ire000052

Company: Fast-Growing FMCG & Food Retail Group

Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Posted: 29 September 2026

Closing Date: 29 October 2026

About the Company

Operating in the fast-paced FMCG and fresh food retail sector, the company is a rapidly expanding retail food store enterprise specializing in fresh meat products, cold meats, deli items, hot foods, and general grocery lines. With a focus on quality produce, competitive pricing, and high food safety standards, the group continues to expand its retail footprint across the Western Cape.

The workplace culture is energetic, operational, customer-obsessed, and safety-focused. Store management teams work in active food market environments where inventory management, short-shelf-life product rotation, HACCP hygiene standards, and team motivation are prioritized daily. Joining the George team connects you with an expanding retail enterprise offering strong long-term career growth in the Garden Route region.

Company Summary

• Industry: FMCG, Fresh Food Retail & Meat Processing
• Company Size: Expanding Regional Food Retail Enterprise
• Work Culture: High-Energy, Operational, Quality-Driven, Customer-Focused
• Location: George, Garden Route, Western Cape, South Africa

Available Opportunities

The company is recruiting a Retail Assistant Manager on a full-time, permanent basis for their retail food store in George, Western Cape. Reporting directly to the Retail Store Manager, you will oversee daily floor operations, manage inventory and short-shelf-life meat products, enforce HACCP hygiene rules, lead store personnel, and drive sales profitability.

Core Responsibilities:

• Inventory & Perishable Stock Management: Ordering stock from factories and suppliers, capturing deliveries on Meat Matrix software, managing stock depletion thresholds, controlling chillers/freezers, and minimizing shrinkage, dumping, and spoilage.
• Store Housekeeping & Food Safety (HACCP): Enforcing strict HACCP food safety standards and Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) rules across all departments, including display cabinets, cold rooms, cash registers, and the Deli/Hot Foods area.
• Employee Management & Development: Assisting with recruitment, onboarding, shift scheduling via ERS time-keeping software, training, performance management, and workplace discipline.
• Visual Merchandising & Floor Presentation: Structuring attractive product displays at checkout queues, rotating slow-moving lines, coordinating promotional displays, and maintaining clean, well-stocked sales aisles.
• Cash Management & Financial Security: Overseeing daily cash-up reconciliations, managing safe drop-offs/pick-ups, controlling ATM cash, maintaining safe security, and preventing till shortfalls.
• Customer Service & Market Analysis: Resolving customer complaints promptly, analyzing local purchasing patterns, and driving brand loyalty to improve customer retention.
• Systems & Physical Security Administration: Monitoring CCTV surveillance systems, managing physical security guards, overseeing alarm systems, and maintaining digital stock control platforms.

Key Objectives

Your success as a Retail Assistant Manager in George will be evaluated by store sales performance, gross margin yield on fresh meat/deli lines, shrinkage reduction percentages, and HACCP compliance scores. Within your first 90 days, you will be expected to:

1. Optimize Short-Shelf-Life Stock Control: Streamline Meat Matrix stock capturing and FIFO rotation routines across chillers and meat displays to reduce waste and shrinkage.
2. Uphold 100% HACCP & OHSA Standards: Maintain strict food hygiene, sanitation, and safety compliance throughout the sales floor, butchery area, and hot food deli.
3. Streamline Till & Cash Governance: Enforce daily cash-up auditing and safe drop SOPs to eliminate cash losses and till variances.
4. Drive Store Team Productivity: Implement structured daily floor briefings and shift schedules using ERS clocking systems to boost staff efficiency and customer service levels.

What You Will Learn

Stepping into this assistant store management role provides comprehensive exposure to specialized food retail and butchery operations. In this position, you will build expertise in:

• Specialized Meat & Butchery Systems: Hands-on operation of Meat Matrix inventory software, carcass yield calculations, and cold-chain temperature control.
• FMCG Perishable Loss Prevention: Advanced strategies for managing short-shelf-life products, batch tracking, clearance pricing, and waste minimization.
• Food Safety Legislation & HACCP Auditing: In-depth application of South African food safety laws, hazard analysis, and health audit protocols in fresh food retail.
• Retail Financial & Floor Governance: Practical experience analyzing store income statements, cash flow reports, ERS timekeeping systems, and shrink-reduction models.

What You Gain

Joining this expanding food retail company on a permanent basis brings strong employment security, competitive leadership rewards, and regional stability:

• Permanent Retail Leadership Role: Stable, full-time appointment within a growing Western Cape food retail group.
• Competitive Remuneration: Market-related salary package aligned with experience and management capabilities.
• Hands-on Operational Experience: Exposure across stock procurement, meat processing controls, floor merchandising, and human resource management.
• Garden Route Career Growth: Opportunity to build a long-term retail management career in George, Western Cape.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential Minimum Requirements:

• Grade 12 / Matric qualification (Compulsory & Non-Negotiable).
• Minimum of 5 years of proven retail experience, ideally within a supervisory or team leadership role.
• Prior experience in stock management, buying, staff supervision, merchandising, and store cost management.
• Solid understanding of short-shelf-life perishable management, specifically within the meat, butchery, or fresh deli sector.
• Working knowledge of stock management platforms (e.g., Meat Matrix, ERP systems) and clocking systems (e.g., ERS).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) and basic financial metrics (income statements, cash flows, stock loss reporting).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with exceptional customer service and people management capabilities.

Advantageous Criteria:

• Diploma or Degree in Retail Management, Business Management, or a related field.
• Comprehensive knowledge of HACCP food safety standards and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

Interview Questions to Prepare For

Candidates applying on applyretail.co.za should prepare to answer the following interview questions during the selection process:

1. “How do you manage inventory and rotation for short-shelf-life perishable items like fresh meat to minimize dumping and waste?”
   • Tip: Detail implementing strict FIFO (First-In, First-Out) principles, daily temperature monitoring in chillers, tracking stock depletion on Meat Matrix, and scheduling timely markdown promotions on near-expiry items.
2. “What specific steps do you take to maintain 100% HACCP food safety compliance across the store floor and deli areas?”
   • Tip: Discuss enforcing strict sanitation schedules, ensuring staff wear correct PPE, monitoring cold-chain temperatures continuously, and conducting unannounced floor cleanliness audits.
3. “How do you handle a situation where daily cash-up reports show a significant shortage at the registers?”
   • Tip: Explain auditing transaction logs, reviewing CCTV footage, verifying drop amounts with the cashier and safe logbook, and following company disciplinary procedures if negligence is identified.
4. “Why do you want to join this retail food store as an Assistant Manager in George?”
   • Tip: Express your passion for fresh food retail, your strong experience in butchery/FMCG operations, and your commitment to driving store growth in the Garden Route.

Career Advice for Applicants

To ensure your application stands out on applyretail.co.za:

• Highlight Matric, Food Retail & Meat Matrix Experience: Clearly feature your Grade 12 certificate, 5+ years of retail supervisory experience, and familiarity with Meat Matrix or perishable food management on your CV.
• Emphasize Financial & Systems Competency: Detail your experience analyzing stock reports, managing cash-ups, using ERS clocking tools, and controlling store expenses.
• Confirm George / Garden Route Commute: Verify that living in or commuting to George, Western Cape, for regular retail trading hours and shift rosters is practical for you.
• Apply Before 29 October 2026: Submit your updated CV, certified Matric certificate, ID copy, and contactable references before the closing deadline.

How to Apply

1. Click the “Apply Now” button below on applyretail.co.za.
2. Upload your CV, Grade 12 / Matric certificate, tertiary qualifications (if applicable), ID document, and contactable references.
3. Complete the online retail application form for the Retail Assistant Manager position in George using reference number Ire000052 (Contact: Jaco Roberts).

Apply now