Stealth Startup

General Manager — Flagship Card Store

Posted: Oct 28, 2025

Job Description

Location: Dallas (on-site)Compensation: Salary + quarterly store bonusDepartment: RetailReports to: Head of GrowthAbout Us:We’re a leading online marketplace dedicated to trading card games—Pokémon, MTG, Lorcana, and more—used by millions of collectors to buy, sell, and showcase their collections. We’re opening our first physical location to bring that experience into the real world: buying, selling, grading drop-offs, live events, and creator activations under one roof.The Role:Run the flagship store end-to-end: team, sales floor, inventory, events, and customer experience. Think LGS meets gallery meets content studio. You’ll set day-to-day standards and build a place collectors actually want to spend time.What Success Looks Like:First 30 days: Hire and onboard staff; decide which games to actively support; select technology (POS); create SOPs for opening/closing, cash handling, buylist, and shrink control; launch a weekly event schedule.First 90 days: Hit baseline KPIs (see below), establish a reliable grading intake flow, and roll out a buy/sell/trade counter that fans trust.First 180 days: Grow sales and event attendance month-over-month; keep shrink below 1.0%; build two repeatable in-store activations that tie to online drops or streams.Core KPIs: Daily sales, gross margin %, labor %, shrink, inventory turns, NPS, event seats filled, online→store conversions.What You’ll Do:Own store P&L: plan, forecast, and manage to targets without hurting the guest experience.Staffing & leadership: recruit, coach, schedule, and set goals for associates, buyers, and event leads.Inventory & merchandising: receive, price, and merchandise sealed products and singles; maintain condition standards and display security.Buylist & authentication: run a transparent buy/sell/trade counter; price using market data; prevent fakes and misgrades.Events & community: host leagues, prereleases, tournaments, trade nights, and creator signings; partner with Growth to turn the best moments into content.Grading & services: manage grading drop-offs/pickups.Omnichannel ops: fulfill online orders from store inventory when needed; coordinate live auctions/streams from an in-store setup.Loss prevention & safety: implement camera zones, case keys, bag checks, and incident logs; ensure OSHA basics and local compliance.Facilities: keep fixtures working, POS up, and the store clean and orderly.Vendor & publisher relations: maintain allocations, timely preorders, and event reporting.A Day in the Life:Morning walk-through, cash check, and staff huddle. Review allocations and event RSVPs, adjust labor, and green-light the buylist. Midday: a high-value collection appraisal—approve prices and secure showcase items. Evening: prerelease in full swing—support judging, keep the bracket moving, and capture a few moments for the social team.You Might Be a Fit If:4+ years managing a retail store (collectibles, hobby, games, comics, or specialty preferred).Comfortable owning targets: sales, margin, labor, shrink.Proficient with POS and inventory systemsDeep TCG knowledge: set releases, rarity, condition, play formats, event ops (WPN, Play! Pokémon, etc.).Steady during product launches; skilled at de-escalation and fairness.Willing to work evenings/weekends; able to lift 40 lbs and stand for long periods.Bonus Points:Ran TCG tournaments or judged events.Experience with grading submissions and consignment.Opened a store or managed a remodel/expansion.Why Join:Build the blueprint for a new retail concept from the ground up.Real ownership of hiring, standards, and the playbook others will follow.Access to a large online community and data to inform decisions.Benefits, staff discount, and a yearly “grail” stipend.Our Hiring Process30-min intro with Head of Growth45-min interview with CTO (former shop owner)Potential take-home: store opening checklist + 30/60/90 plan (1–2 hrs, $100)Panel with CEO, CTO, Co-founder, and Head of GrowthDecision within 1 week of final interviewReady to Apply?Apply via the job platform hosting this role, or include your résumé and a brief paragraph on your vision for opening a first-of-its-kind TCG storefront.

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