Merchant, A&F Women's Dresses
About the role
This role is focused on A&F Women’s Dresses, a top-volume driving department for the Brand Gender and a focal category at the company.
Responsibilities
Contributing to the assortment strategy of Must Dominate division by influencing decisions at every stage of the product lifecycle; from concept and product development, to buying and pricing, marketing and promotions.
Utilizing keen trend eye to identify growing trends and uncover whitespace product lines, while marrying new ideas with knowledge of the customer to create product that is on-trend and rooted in our customer’s mindset.
Diving into the interests and preferences of our customer by observing shopping patterns, lifestyle behaviors, shopping our competitors, seeking out feedback from our stores, and monitoring social media, with the ability to translate insights into product-facing actions.
Collaborating cross-functionally with Design and Sourcing teams to create a line that promotes product excellence while meeting various financial metrics.
Working closely with Planning to drive a strategy that maximizes key areas of the business and meets the financial targets of the category and total brand.
Serving as the expert in current selling analysis and historical selling knowledge for your department.
Presenting to senior leadership weekly, with a focus on clear, concise storytelling, including presentations on selling analysis, business strategies, style information and trend ideas.
Requirements
A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
5+ years of apparel Merchandising or Buying experience
Proven leadership experience and ability to thrive in team-based settings
Passion for the merchant role, fashion retail and the Abercrombie & Fitch brand
An acute eye for product and trend
Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate confidently to leadership
A deep understanding of sales analysis and financial metrics that relate to your business
A high comfort-level with analytical sales tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
A collaborative approach to working with cross-functional partners to achieve the vision of the brand
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed by the department