Manager - Buying and Merchandising

Apparel Group - UAE; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Apparel Group - UAE seeks a seasoned Retail Buying & Merchandising professional to lead assortment planning, OTB management, and in-season projections across categories. You will define strategies that balance sell-through, margins, and customer expectations while partnering with brand teams and store operations.

The role requires 6–8 years in buying and merchandising, strong analytics, and a track record of achieving sales KPIs.

Qualifications

• 6-8 years of progressive experience in retail buying and merchandising, including OTB planning and in-season projections.
• Proven success in driving cross-functional collaboration, enhancing customer engagement, and achieving & exceeding sales KPI targets for stores.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in forecasting, performance reporting, and market trend analysis.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Buy ing & Assortment Planning: Plan and finalize seasonal product ranges aligned with brand strategy.
• Merchandising & Execution: Coordinate allocations, replenishment, and markdown planning.
• Performance Management: Analyze weekly sales performance and drive stock/price actions to meet targets.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Liaise with Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance to ensure end-to-end merchandise flow.

Skills

Retail buying

Merchandising

OTB planning

Forecasting

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Sales KPI targets

Brand alignment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field

Tools

WSSI tracking

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key Responsibility:

Buying & Assortment Planning

• Plan and finalize seasonal product ranges based on market trends, historical sales, and brand strategy.
• Develop assortment strategies that align with sales targets, gross margin plans, and customer expectations.
• Execute the seasonal buying calendar, including product selection, vendor negotiations, and purchase order placement.
• Collaborate with vendors on pricing, lead times, and delivery schedules to ensure cost efficiency and timely availability.
• Manage OTB in partnership with the planning team to optimize inventory investments across categories.

Merchandising & Execution

• Coordinate initial product allocations and replenishment strategies to ensure a balanced merchandise mix at store level.
• Ensure effective in-season management through WSSI tracking, stock balancing, and markdown planning.
• Monitor product lifecycle by analyzing bestsellers and slow movers and take corrective action accordingly.
• Work closely with Visual Merchandising and Marketing teams to support seasonal campaigns and product storytelling in-store.
• Ensure compliance with brand guidelines in product selection, pricing architecture, and merchandising presentation.

Performance Management

• Review and analyze weekly sales performance at style, category, and store level against business targets.
• Drive sell-through and margin performance through in-season stock adjustments, markdowns, and promotional activities.
• Track ageing inventory and execute phase-wise markdowns to maintain healthy stock turnover.
• Conduct regular market visits and competitive benchmarking to identify assortment gaps and consumer trends.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Liaise with Planning, Operations, Logistics, and Finance teams to ensure end-to-end merchandise flow and store readiness.
• Coordinate with store teams for feedback on product performance and customer response.
• Engage with Brand Managers and Principals to align buying strategies with brand vision and commercial objectives.
• Contribute to training initiatives by providing seasonal product insights and trend updates to front-end teams.

Desired Experience:

• 6-8 years of progressive experience in retail buying and merchandising, including OTB planning and in-season projections.
• Proven success in driving high level cross functional collaboration, enhancing customer engagement, and achieving & exceeding sales KPI targets for stores.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in forecasting, performance reporting, and market trend analysis.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.