Seasonal Sales Associate

Join us for the Holiday Season!

The Seasonal Sales Associate is the heart of the FAO Schwarz boutique at Nordstrom, where no two shifts are ever the same. Throughout the day, you’ll step into different experiences, guiding guests through imaginative, immersive moments that feel personal, playful, and memorable. Whether you’re bringing a story to life, helping create something one-of-a-kind, or simply sparking a sense of wonder, each shift invites you to embody new characters and create meaningful moments for every guest.

Between experiences, you’ll be on the floor performing live toy demonstrations, sharing product knowledge to enable thoughtful buying decisions, and at the register giving every guest a send-off worth remembering. This role moves fluidly across the business and is at the center of how we show up for guests every day.

Location: FAO Schwarz Boutique at Nordstrom, 57th Street: 225 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

Creating the Magic

As a Sales Associate, you will:

• Step into a different world with every experience you cover, and bring each character to life with the energy, tone, and showmanship it deserves.
• Guide guests through immersive and customized experiences, ensuring the process of creation and discovery feels just as memorable as the item they take home.
• Perform live toy demonstrations that generate excitement and engagement, captivating guests of all ages and turning curiosity into purchases.
• Use established selling strategies to convert interest into action and contribute to the boutique’s sales goals.
• Be the go-to expert across your areas, confidently answering questions about our products and handling the register as a guest moment, warm and on-brand right through to the final farewell.
• Set each area up for success before you step in. Products stocked, batteries charged, costumes and props ready, and all safety and operational guidelines followed.
• Flex across experiences, demonstrations, the sales floor, and the register throughout your shift, taking initiative to adapt to the needs of the moment.
• Take an active part in special events and brand activations, making sure your areas help contribute to their success.
• Share what’s working with the wider team by actively contributing ideas, best practices, and suggestions for improvement.
• Stay curious, coachable, and hungry to learn by participating in training and collaborating with colleagues to keep growing.

What Success looks like

You’re doing well in this role when:

• Guests leave with something unique and a story to tell.
• You move confidently across experiences, demonstrations, the sales floor, and the register, delivering the same high standard in every area.
• Your demonstrations attract crowds and generate energy that guests can sense from across the sales floor.
• Guests trust you to guide them and are eager to participate, play, and purchase.
• You help achieve boutique sales targets through confident, natural selling in every interaction.
• You show up as a reliable, adaptable team player and your teammates recognize you for it.
• You actively seek feedback, apply what you learn, and demonstrate visible growth over time.

This role aligns with Level 1 in our Career Framework and provides a strong foundation for progression into Specialist roles (Level 2).

Requirements

You don’t need to be perfect, just passionate and ready to bring your energy to every world you step into:

• A genuine love for engaging with people of all ages, with the communication skills to adapt your style for different experiences, characters, and audiences.
• Comfort stepping into a character, wearing a costume, and performing confidently in front of others, whether one-on-one or in front of a crowd.
• The ability to guide guests through an experience or demonstration with warmth, product knowledge, and a sense of theatricality.
• The ability to sell through demonstration and authentic connection.
• A genuine interest in toys, play, and the FAO Schwarz brand.
• Flexibility to move across different experiences, areas, and responsibilities throughout a single shift.
• Available to work across days, evenings, and weekends.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift up to 25 pounds.

Retail, hospitality, performance, or experiential experience is a plus. Curiosity and attitude matter most.

Benefits

• $19.00/hr + Store Incentive Bonus (Annual salary estimated based on average hours worked)
• Employee discounts
• Telehealth
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits
• Retirement Plan (401k + Match)
• Time-and-a-half pay for Holidays worked
• Paid + Unpaid sick time

This job description should not be construed to contain every function/responsibility that may be required to be performed by this role. Employees are required to perform other related functions as assigned.

FAO Schwarz is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, military or veteran status, arrest or conviction record, predisposing genetic characteristics, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.