Regional Merchant

About the role

At Ashley, we inspire the love of home and are the world's largest manufacturer of home furnishings. As a family committed to innovation, competitiveness, and excellence, we strive to deliver an exceptional customer experience. This role is crucial for driving store-level product performance, assortment execution, and revenue growth.

Responsibilities

• Localize national assortments based on regional customer demographics, home styles, and buying behavior
• Identify assortment gaps and regional opportunities within core categories like Bedroom, Dining, Motion Upholstery, Stationary Upholstery, and Occasional Furniture
• Recommend product swaps, expansions, or exits to maximize sales productivity
• Ensure store assortments reflect regional demand while maintaining brand consistency
• Analyze store-level sales performance and product velocity trends across the region
• Partner with Merchandise Planning & Supply Chain to adjust inventory allocation and replenishment strategies
• Drive improvements in Sales Per Square Foot, Sku Productivity, Category Mix, and Margin Performance
• Conduct monthly store visits and velocity walks across assigned stores
• Evaluate floor placement effectiveness, product storytelling, competitive positioning, price perception, and product adjacencies
• Provide feedback and recommendations to improve visual merchandising and customer flow
• Lead product assortment planning and floor execution for new store openings, store relocations, and major remodels
• Partner with Visual Merchandising and Store Operations to ensure optimal product presentation and assortment mix
• Validate that floor sets reflect regional sales opportunities and customer demographics
• Provide regional insight to include future product development and assortment planning
• Align on inventory levels, allocation strategies, and demand signals with Merchandise Planning
• Ensure product placement aligns with customer flow and storytelling with Visual Merchandising
• Support store teams with product knowledge and sales enablement with Store Operations
• Partner on assortment performance, gaps, and customer insight with Retail Sales Department

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Merchandising, Business, Retail Management, Supply Chain, Finance, or related field
• 5-10+ Years retail merchandising experience
• Experience in furniture, home furnishings, or big ticket retail strongly preferred
• Proven track record of improving store sales and product performance
• Experience managing multi-store retail environments

Core Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
• Customer Insight
• Mercandising Judgement
• Cross Functional Leadership
• Store Execution Excellence
• Communication Cross Functionally

Work Environment

• Climate-controlled office environment
• Standard lighting and moderate noise levels
• Sitting at a desk for extended periods while working with computers, phones, and other office equipment
• Interaction with team members and attendance at meetings, conference calls, and cross-departmental communications during regular business hours

Benefits

• Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off; increases with years of service
• Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Tuition Assistance
• Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific)
• 401(k) and Profit Sharing
• Life Insurance

Our Core Values

• Honesty & Integrity
• Continuous Improvement
• Growth & Results Focus
• Culture of Leadership
• Customer-Centric & Boundaryless
• Operational Excellence