In-Store Leadership Intern - Summer 2027 (Houston, TX)

Physical Retail In-Store Leadership Intern - Summer 2027 (Houston, TX)

Program Dates: June 1st - August 6th, 2027

The base pay for this position is $25 per hour.

Location: Perigold - Houston, TX (Requires flexibility to travel locally/work in various locations within the same immediate geography as needed)

Schedule: Flexibility to work a retail schedule, including evenings, weekends, and peak periods as dictated by business needs.

At this time, Wayfair will not sponsor applicants for employment authorization for this position for the following work visas: STEM OPT EAD, H-1B, H-1B1, E-3, O-1, J-1, or TN.

Who We Are

Our organization was selected as a top 100 Internship program for 2026 by Yello & WayUp! This list showcases the employers who went above and beyond for their interns in the past year. We take pride in delivering a best-in-class experience!

Our 10-week summer internship program is designed to give you a feel for what it would be like to work full-time across our fleet of retail brands. You'll be assigned real projects and contribute directly to your store's operational goals and objectives.

Our retail organization is reinventing the store experience, and we are looking for the next generation of executive leaders to run our specialty, luxury, outlet, and flagship branded stores. This is an immersive, high-stakes experience designed for high-potential individuals who want to master every facet of a physical retail businessfrom sales floor operations to financial analysis.

What You'll Do

• Master Retail Operations & CX: Rotate through frontline sales, back-of-house logistics, visual merchandising, and clienteling workflows across our fleet of brands.
• Shadow Store Leadership: Partner directly with Assistant Store Managers (ASMs) and Store Managers to analyze daily/weekly sales reports, observe real-time labor deployment, and learn operational decision-making.
• Execute a High-Impact Capstone Project: Identify a live store challenge (e.g., category conversion, damaged inventory, process bottlenecks), conduct data-driven analysis, implement solutions, and track measurable outcomes.
• Step into Acting Leadership: Lead morning huddles, monitor and drive key shift KPIs (e.g., credit applications, CRM capture), handle basic customer escalations, and manage specific floor zones.
• Deliver Executive Presentations: Prepare and pitch your Capstone Project results and strategic recommendations directly to General Managers and Regional Leadership.

What You'll Need

Basic Qualifications:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree, with the expectation that the degree will be obtained between December 2027 and June 2028.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Must be returning to the course of study following completion of the internship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1+ years of experience in retail, hospitality, customer service, or leadership roles.
• Strong comfort level and appetite to use AI tools and modern retail software in daily workflows.
• Proactive, self-motivated "owner" mindset with strong active listening, verbal communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to stand/walk for extended periods and regularly lift up to 5075 lbs independently or with assistance.
• Flexibility to work a retail schedule, including evenings, weekends, and peak periods as dictated by business needs.

Possible Team Placements

• Physical Retail Store Operations: Work within our flagship, luxury, specialty, or outlet store locations to manage back-of-house inventory flow, omni-channel fulfillment (BOPIS/SFS), visual standards, and stockroom logistics.
• Store Sales & Clienteling Leadership: Partner with store teams on high-touch consultative selling, customer experience metrics, CRM outreach, and premium product category growth.

Post-Internship Rotational Program Eligibility: Successful completion of this internship serves as an evaluation for a potential Offer of Intent (LOI) to qualify for entry into our elite multi-year post-graduate Retail Leadership Rotational Program. Top performers may be fast-tracked into full-time rotational tracks across Sales Leadership, Operations & Merchandising, and Store P&L Management upon graduation. Note that return offers are based on intern performance eligibility and business needs.

Why You'll Love Working With Us

We're committed to creating an experience that is meaningful, supportive, and designed to help you launch your career. During our 10-week summer internship program, you won't just observeyou'll take ownership of real projects, contribute to core business goals, and see your work directly impact our retail stores.

You'll also get a firsthand look at what it's like to build your career here, with opportunities to:

• Build Future-Ready Skills: Gain hands-on experience using modern technology platforms and approved AI tools, developing practical fluency for today's retail landscape.
• Receive Dedicated Mentorship: Get regular 1:1 guidance and feedback from your manager, alongside personalized support from a formal mentor.
• Learn from Senior Leaders: Explore various career paths through open dialogues and Q&A sessions with senior retail leadership.
• Tackle Real Challenges: Participate in an intern-wide innovation project to build your strategic thinking and creative problem-solving skills in high-growth areas.
• Grow Your Network: Connect with peers and colleagues through casual coffee chats, social gatherings, and professional development workshops.
• Make an Impact: Give back to local communities through organized volunteer opportunities and join intern-led social events.
• Enjoy Employee Perks: Take advantage of our generous employee discount across our fleet of brands throughout your internship.

Purpose & Inclusion: We pride ourselves on fostering an environment where every individual experiences a fair and equitable employee journey. We are committed to developing targeted resources that raise awareness around inclusion and eliminate barriers, ensuring a fair and inclusive workplace experience for everyone.

Social Impact & Responsibility: At Wayfair, we focus on helping people on their journey to home - specifically those who have lost their way from home. We do this by leveraging our best assets, such as collaborating with leading nonprofit organizations, coordinating in-kind product donations, empowering our employees to get involved through paid volunteer time off programs, and encouraging our customers to donate. This multi-faceted approach allows us to support communities in need in authentic ways that align with Wayfair's broader mission of helping everyone, anywhere create their sense of home.