Merchant

Job Summary

Develop and execute overall product assortment strategy across store and online channels to maximize sales and profits, resulting in new product offerings without departing from the core equities of the brand.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional partners across businesses to execute product assortment strategy effectively, from pre-season assortment development to in-season assortment management.
• Lead merchandising teams in the identification of trends, ideas and the interpretation of business opportunities which set us apart from the competition.
• Set strategy, vision and direction through resource allocation decisions for a significant organization or business unit.
• Direct the strategy for price levels, ranges and price architecture.
• Optimize merchandise assortment across store and e-commerce channels.
• Drive sku productivity through sound assortment rationale.
• Lead teams to analyze sales, competitive and market trends, and customer behavior to establish overall product assortment strategy.
• Drive cost-out with vendor base to create margin expansion.
• Identify white-space growth opportunities.
• Provide development, coaching and goal-setting for direct report(s).

Requirements

• Strong financial acumen
• Possess a complete understanding of buying plans and processes.
• Ability to plan product assortments and promote merchandise internally and externally to support the company sales initiatives.
• Maintain an awareness of new trends and product ideas in order to develop and maintain a successful assortment plan for specific merchandising categories.
• Financial acumen related to merchandising and planning - evaluate inventory, gross margin and markdowns in order to manage financial goals of the product category and assortment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years retail merchandising experience
• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field