Planning
• To review historical performance and determine future product strategy, working closely with the Product team.
• To present in commercial sign off and trade meetings to senior management.
• To provide regular performance reviews across all Business channels.
• To review Competitor activity with the Buyer to challenge future product strategy.
• To plan internet and retail requirements, to propose ranging. To ensure that planning is reflected to best meet commercial needs.
• To plan new season, buy in line with both range, category and segment planning across all Business channels.
• To determine optimum stock targets, bearing in mind buffer stocks, retail requirements and lead times.
• To plan pricing strategy, working closely with the Product Team to secure overall margin targets.
• To provide regular intake planning details to enable operations to plan resources effectively.
• To manage WSSI to plan and trade department in line with KPI budgets.
Trading
• To ensure that the Monday management pack is reconciled effectively, including validation of stock and sales forecasting.
• To establish an ordering critical path, reflecting catalogue schedules and core seasonal issues.
• To fully potentialize peak trading periods and develop well rounded plans to protect critical trading issues
• To ensure that orders are placed in line with system forecasts and ordering cycles
• To plan promotional activity to keep obsolete stocks in line and potentialize sales.
• To understand and trade the MTO side of the business.
Commercial Awareness
• To undertake regular store visits – ideally store visits should be undertaken at least every month.
• To produce appropriate business reports after each visit and follow up action plans.
• To undertake competitor visits on a regular basis, feedback any relevant points and put into place any required action plans.
• To understand, prioritise and work to the critical dates and deadlines in both the planning and trading process.
• To consistently deliver excellent standards of customer service.
Merchandising Systems
• To develop an excellent working knowledge of all Merchandising systems including Wssi tool
• To identify and propose improved working practices and updates to systems.
• To action detailed integrity checks as necessary to ensure the efficient running of the department
• To ensure the team maximise use of the Sales Reactive Allocation System and use to maximise retail sales and profit.
Key Skills & Responsibilities
Essential –
• Strong excel skills
• Experience within a Merchandiser role
• Highly numerate
• Good presentation skills
• Knowledge of critical path and product lifecycle of similar category
• Commercially aware with interest in fashion retail industry
• Able to work both independently and within a small team.
• Ability to manage heavy workload and meet tight deadlines.
• Be proactive and self-motivated
• Experience in people management.
• Excellent organisational and problem solving skills.
• Be flexible, enthusiastic and confident
Desirable –
• Minimum 5 years of experience in multi channel retailing
• Previous experience in relevant category.
• Enjoy working in a small/medium sized company.
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