Job description for Visual Merchandising Intern at Gentle Pet Store
About Gentle Pet Store:
Gentle Pet Store (GPS) is a digital-first pet care and wellness curation platform — a small, fast-moving founding team. This role will help shape how the brand looks, feels, and shows up, both online and at physical touchpoints like events and pop-ups.
About the Role
Most internships give you a slice of a project — this one gives you a canvas. You'll help define how GPS looks and feels across every touchpoint a customer sees: from the products and merch we design and source, to how our online listings are styled, to how our booth looks at a live event. This is a hands-on, creative role suited to someone who loves styling, illustration, and bringing a brand to life in physical and visual form.
Key Responsibilities:
Merchandise & Product Design
- Design and source GPS-branded merchandise — starting with our first t-shirt and woven bag runs — balancing cost, quality, and brand fit (including via platforms like Taobao)
- Help develop unique GPS-branded swag concepts from ideation through sourcing and production
- Support the curation of our pet kits for various partners, including developing a few variations for different price points or occasions
- Support the early curation and packaging direction of GPS's own house brand of shampoo, cleaner, treats, and similar products
Visual Merchandising — Online & Offline
- Design and maintain a consistent visual merchandising standard for GPS across our online storefront and listings
- Concept and produce illustration work for offline touchpoints — event backdrops, signage, and product displays — as well as online touchpoints including the website and livestreaming
- Assist in styling and setting up product displays at events, pop-ups, and activations, with light on-ground presence where required
- Research merchandising trends in the pet and lifestyle retail space to keep GPS distinctive and current
Collaboration
- Collaborate with respective team members to ensure visual merchandising is aligned with brand tone and campaign calendars
What We're Looking For:
- Currently pursuing or recently completed a diploma/degree in Design, Visual Merchandising, Fine Arts, Marketing, or a related field
- A strong eye for aesthetics, styling, and brand consistency
- Illustration or graphic design skills (portfolio/work samples appreciated but not mandatory)
- Comfortable navigating sourcing platforms such as Taobao, or willing to learn quickly
- Organised, resourceful, and comfortable working with ambiguity in a small, early-stage team
- Genuine interest in pets and pet care
- Able to commit to occasional weekend/evening event support
What You'll Gain:
- Real ownership over how a growing pet-care brand looks and feels, from concept to execution — including products that will physically ship to customers and hotel partners
- Direct exposure to founders and cross-functional work with brand, community, and sourcing
- Hands-on experience in both offline (events/illustration) and online (storefront/sourcing) visual merchandising
- A flexible, collaborative working environment
