Visual Merchandising Manager - Retail Strategy

Apparel Group; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apparel Group, based in Dubai, seeks a Visual Merchandising Manager to lead development and execution of visual merchandising strategies across our Dubai retail units. The role focuses on strengthening brand presentation and enhancing the customer shopping experience through compelling displays, store layouts and clear visual communication.

You will work with Brand Principals, Buyers, Marketing and Retail Operations to translate priorities into practical concepts.

Qualifications

• Experience in visual merchandising strategy and brand presentation.
• Ability to translate priorities into seasonal visual concepts.
• Strong store layout and space planning capabilities.
• Proven track record in developing display guidelines and signage placements.

Responsibilities

• Develop visual merchandising strategies and presentation standards for assigned retail units.
• Translate priorities into seasonal visual concepts aligned with roadmap.
• Collaborate with Brand Principals, Buyers and Marketing to align assortments and promotions.
• Establish visual presentation approaches that support visibility and commercial goals.
• Develop display guidelines and space plans for consistent store execution.
• Lead seasonal concepts and store execution with Marketing and Store Ops.
• Provide visuals, tools, and training to store teams; conduct audits for quality.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to implement concepts across formats.

Skills

Visual Merch Strategy

Brand Presentation

Seasonal Display Planning

Store Layout Design

Retail Space Allocation

Display Guidelines

Signage Placement

Store Format Innovation

Merchandising Audits

Cross-functional Collaboration

Job description

Visual Merchandising Manager - Retail Strategy Job Snapshot - Role: Visual Merchandising Manager - Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Industry: Apparel and Fashion - Function: Visual-Display Merchandising - Experience: Not specified - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview Apparel Group is seeking a Visual Merchandising Manager to lead the development and execution of visual merchandising strategies across assigned retail business units in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The role focuses on creating compelling store environments, strengthening brand presentation and improving the customer shopping experience through effective merchandise displays, store layouts and visual communication. Working closely with Brand Principals, Buyers, Marketing, Sales Promotion, Procurement and Retail Operations, the position will translate commercial priorities into practical visual merchandising concepts. The role also involves establishing brand presentation standards, developing seasonal display guidelines, supporting store format innovation and ensuring consistent execution of visual strategies across retail locations.

Job Details - Country: United Arab Emirates - City: Dubai - Industry: Apparel and Fashion - Function: Visual-Display Merchandising - Salary: Not disclosed - Gender: No Preference - Candidate Nationality: Not specified - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site

Key Responsibilities

• Visual Merchandising Strategy and Brand Standards - Develop visual merchandising strategies and presentation standards for assigned retail business units.
• Translate strategic merchandising priorities into seasonal visual concepts aligned with the visual merchandising roadmap.
• Work with Brand Principals, Buyers and relevant commercial teams to understand product assortments, promotional priorities and brand requirements.
• Establish effective visual presentation approaches that support merchandise visibility, customer engagement and commercial objectives.
• Develop and refine display guidelines and merchandise flow guides to support consistent execution across stores.
• Ensure that visual merchandising processes support established productivity and quality requirements.
• Seasonal Concepts and Store Execution - Partner with Marketing and Store Operations to communicate and implement seasonal visual concepts and merchandise initiatives.
• Develop practical visual merchandising guidelines that store teams can follow according to product assortment and available retail space.
• Collaborate with field Visual Merchandising leadership to maintain consistent and high-quality execution of approved visual concepts.
• Provide visual direction, execution tools, operational communications and training materials to support store teams.
• Conduct visual merchandising audits to assess implementation quality and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Ensure that seasonal displays and merchandising initiatives remain consistent with established brand standards.
• Store Layout and Space Planning - Develop store and departmental space allocations that improve merchandise presentation and customer navigation.
• Plan product adjacencies and display arrangements to strengthen consumer appeal and support sales objectives.
• Evaluate product assortment and available floor space when developing visual merchandising guidelines.
• Provide recommendations on fixture design, store layouts, graphics and signage placement.
• Contribute to the overall in-store branding and customer experience through effective visual presentation.
• Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure that merchandising concepts can be implemented within individual store formats.
• Retail Innovation and Store Development - Lead visual presentation activities for store innovation and reinvention projects.
• Guide the design, development, testing and rollout of strategic store format initiatives.
• Participate in the development of new retail prototypes and visual concepts that respond to customer needs and commercial opportunities.
• Provide visual merchandising input into store remodeling and renovation programs.
• Contribute recommendations regarding the scope and implementation pace of store improvement initiatives.
• Work with cross-functional teams to refine visual concepts before their wider implementation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration - Coordinate with Brand Principals, Buyers, Sales Promotion, Marketing, Procurement and Retail Operations to develop and execute visual merchandising initiatives.
• Maintain effective communication between central merchandising teams and field visual merchandising leadership.
• Align seasonal visual concepts with marketing campaigns, merchandise priorities and store operational requirements.
• Support the development of clear execution processes and practical communication materials for retail teams.
• Ensure that relevant stakeholders understand visual presentation requirements and implementation expectations.
• Team Development and Visual Merchandising Leadership - Identify and recruit visual merchandising talent to support business requirements.
• Develop team capabilities and support opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
• Provide creative direction and practical guidance to visual merchandising teams.
• Support consistent execution standards through training content, communication and regular operational reviews.
• Encourage effective collaboration between field merchandising teams and other retail functions.

Professional Skills and Capabilities

The position requires a combination of visual creativity, commercial awareness, retail space planning and leadership capabilities. Relevant areas of expertise include:

• Visual merchandising strategy development and retail brand presentation.
• Seasonal merchandise display planning and visual concept execution.
• Store layout design, product adjacencies and retail space allocation.
• Development of visual merchandising guidelines, display standards and execution tools.
• Understanding of product assortment, consumer appeal and commercial merchandising priorities.
• Retail fixture planning, in-store graphics and signage placement.
• Coordination of store format innovation, prototypes and renovation initiatives.
• Visual merchandising audits, quality assessment and implementation monitoring.
• Cross-functional collaboration with buying, marketing, procurement and retail operations teams.
• Talent identification, team development and visual merchandising leadership.

Strategic Contribution

The Visual Merchandising Manager contributes to Apparel Group 's retail performance by connecting brand presentation with commercial merchandising priorities and customer expectations. Through structured visual guidelines, effective space planning and consistent store execution, the role supports stronger merchandise visibility, improved shopping experiences and the achievement of retail sales objectives. The position also contributes to the evolution of store formats and visual presentation practices through innovation, collaboration and continuous refinement of merchandising standards.