Commercial Merchandiser

HC Slingsby; Baildon; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

HC Slingsby is seeking a commercially focused analyst to drive category performance across lifecycle stages. You will monitor sales, margins and stock, forecast demand, and collaborate with Product, Marketing and Inventory teams to optimize stock and promotions.

The role requires strong Excel skills, data interpretation, and a proactive, collaborative mindset to improve profitability and stock turns while aligning with category strategy.

Qualifications

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, PivotTables, filtering and analysing large volumes of data.
• Confident working with numerical information and able to interpret sales, margin and pricing data.
• Good general IT skills and the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• GCSE English and Maths or equivalent.
• Experience of product information management, ERP or e-commerce systems would be advantageous, but is not essential.
• A collaborative team player who builds positive working relationships and willingly supports colleagues to achieve shared objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and an interest in understanding product and customer performance.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate information.
• Ability to take ownership of tasks and see them through to completion.
• Well organised, able to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Monitor category sales, margin and stock performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability and stock turn.
• Produce regular commercial analyses and reports.
• Support the delivery of sales, margin and stock objectives.
• Identify opportunities for continuous commercial improvement.
• Manage the commercial performance of products across their lifecycle.
• Monitor new product launches and recommend actions to maximise performance.
• Identify underperforming products and recommend actions to include promotional, rationalisation, etc.
• Develop sales forecasts for existing and new product ranges.
• Lead seasonal forecasting and stock planning.
• Recommend stockholding strategies based on sales trends, seasonality, market demand and customer development.
• Work closely with Product Managers to ensure stock plans support category strategy.
• Work collaboratively with Product Managers and the Inventory & Purchasing Team to improve container utilisation and inbound freight efficiency.
• Calculate container-fill requirements using product dimensions, order quantities, forecasts and available container capacity.
• Analyse stockholding, availability and stock turn.
• Identify aged stock and overstock opportunities.
• Recommend promotional activity and clearance strategies.
• Support working capital improvements through effective stock management.
• Work closely with the Inventory Team to recommend stockholding strategy and inventory influencers.
• Stockholding strategy.
• Inventory influencers.
• Seasonal stock builds.
• Forecasting and commercial recommendations for Inventory.

Skills

Excel

Data analysis

Numerical interpretation

IT literacy

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

GCSE English and Maths

Tools

ERP

E-commerce systems

Product information management

Job description

To maximise the commercial performance of specified product categories throughout their lifecycle by driving sales, margin, stock optimisation, forecasting and promotional activity. The role works closely with Product Managers, Product & Merchandising Coordinators, Marketing and the Inventory Team to ensure products continue to perform commercially after launch, whilst identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and business growth.

1. Key Responsibilities

Commercial Performance

• Monitor category sales, margin and stock performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability and stock turn.
• Produce regular commercial analysis and performance reporting.
• Support the delivery of sales, margin and stock objectives.
• Identify opportunities for continuous commercial improvement.

Product Lifecycle Management

• Manage the commercial performance of products throughout their lifecycle.
• Monitor new product launches and recommend actions to maximise performance.
• Identify underperforming products and recommend actions to include promotional, rationalisation, corrective or exit strategies.
• Support the successful transition of replacement products.

Forecasting & Seasonal Planning

• Develop sales forecasts for existing and new product ranges.
• Lead seasonal forecasting and stock planning activities.
• Recommend stockholding strategies based on sales trends, seasonality, market demand and customer development.
• Work closely with Product Managers to ensure stock plans support category strategy.
• Work collaboratively with Product Managers and the Inventory & Purchasing Team to improve container utilisation and inbound freight efficiency.
• Calculate container-fill requirements using product dimensions, order quantities, forecasts and available container capacity..
• Analyse stockholding, availability and stock turn.
• Identify aged stock and overstock opportunities.
• Recommend promotional activity and clearance strategies.
• Support working capital improvements through effective stock management.
• Work closely with the Inventory Team to recommend:
• Stockholding strategy.
• Inventory influencers.
• Seasonal stock builds.
• Support Inventory with forecasting and commercial recommendations whilst recognising that Inventory retain responsibility for replenishment planning and purchase order placement.

Pricing & Promotions

• Support pricing reviews and margin improvement initiatives.
• Recommend promotional activity to improve sales and stock performance.
• Monitor the effectiveness of pricing and promotional activity.

Digital Performance

• Review product performance across digital channels.
• Identify opportunities to improve product visibility, SEO and online conversion.
• Work with Product Managers, Product & Merchandising Coordinators and Marketing to enhance product content and customer experience.

Commercial Projects

• Identify direct sourcing opportunities.
• Lead agreed commercial improvement projects.
• Support ESE and Slingsby commercial alignment initiatives where appropriate.

Cross Functional Working

Work closely with:

• Product Managers to support category strategy and product performance.
• Product & Merchandising Coordinators to ensure product information supports commercial objectives.
• Marketing to maximise campaign effectiveness, seo and product visibility.
• Inventory to optimise stockholding and replenishment decisions.
• Sales to identify opportunities for growth and improve customer outcomes.

2. Other Responsibilities

• Comply with Company policies and procedures.
• Represent the Company professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
• Carry out additional duties consistent with the role and business requirements.

3. Key Measures of Success

• Achievement of sales, margin and stock objectives.
• Improved stock turn and working capital.
• Reduction in aged and obsolete stock.
• Successful delivery of seasonal plans.
• Effective Product Promotional performance to include Sale, Clearance and Offers.
• Improved online product performance.
• Successful delivery of commercial improvement projects.
• Effective collaboration across Product, Marketing and Inventory.

4. Personal Specification

Experience

• Previous experience in a commercial, merchandising, buying, product, e-commerce or data-focused role would be advantageous.
• Experience of maintaining accurate product information across business systems or websites would be beneficial.

Technical skills/Qualifications

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, PivotTables, filtering and analysing large volumes of data.
• Confident working with numerical information and able to interpret sales, margin and pricing data.
• Good general IT skills and the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Experience of product information management, ERP or e-commerce systems would be advantageous, but is not essential.
• A good standard of general education, including GCSE English and Maths or equivalent.
• No specific degree or professional qualification is required; relevant experience and aptitude are more important.
• A collaborative team player who builds positive working relationships and willingly supports colleagues to achieve shared objectives.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and an interest in understanding product and customer performance.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate information.
• Ability to take ownership of tasks and see them through to completion.
• Well organised, able to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.