Group Merchandising & Planning Manager

Harvey Nichols; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A luxury department store is seeking a Group Merchandising & Planning Manager - Beauty to lead the beauty merchandising team in London. The role involves strategic planning, budget management, and ensuring sales targets are met. Candidates should have a deep passion for luxury retail, proven leadership skills, and a strong analytical background to drive performance and innovation. This position offers career development opportunities and an inclusive workplace culture.

Benefits

Up to 40% off fashion

30% off beauty and perfumery

Clothing allowance

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Passionate about luxury retail and beauty.
• Results and performance driven.
• Ability to read and interpret financial data.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Beauty Merchandising department.
• Ensure sales and profit margin targets are met.
• Lead the Merchandising team for successful launches.

Skills

Recent working knowledge of beauty buying

Excellent industry relationships

Experience in leading a successful & motivated team

Strategic and analytical thinker

Ability to problem solve

Job description

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Client:

Harvey Nichols

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

2179602d26f9

Job Views:

12

Posted:

13.08.2025

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Job Description:

Group Merchandising & Planning Manager - Beauty

Are you great at leading teams?
Do you have retail and beauty experience?
Do you love all things luxury retail?
If YES, we may have the role for you…

Luxury department store, Harvey Nichols, is searching for a Group Merchandising & Planning Manager - Beautyin our Head Office in London – Knightsbridge. Our culture is based on inclusivity; we embrace diversity. Whoever you are, Harvey Nichols has a place for you.

How we reward your hard work…

At Harvey Nichols, we champion career development and are passionate about our people. We will do all we can to support your journey and career path with us. Alongside this you will have access to a world of amazing benefits such as.

• Up to 40% off fashion
• Up to 40% off hospitality, foodmarket and hampers
• 30% off beauty and perfumery, wine and spirits
• Clothing allowance

You will also have access to charity days, a season ticket/bike loan; learning and development opportunities; to our Employee Assistance Program - Retail Trust and recognition schemes and the opportunity to join one of our employee groups – Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion and Sustainability. These are just some of the reasons people join and stay!

About the role…

As Group Merchandising & Planning Manager - Beauty you will work alongside the Group Beauty Director & key internal stakeholders to create and deliver the omnichannel strategy for Beauty at Harvey Nichols. You will oversee the Beauty Merchandising department, helping to ensure sales and profit margin targets are met. You willlead the Merchandising team to achieve robust continuity business, successful new launches and promotional activities through optimised but controlled stock levels. You will own the budgeting process for Beauty from collation to implementation and you willinform FOB decisions by providing insight into sales and margin role includes all Own Bought beauty categories but excludes Concessions & Beauty Services. The roles and responsibilities in this Group Merchandising & Planning Manager - Beauty include:-

• Budgets, Forecasts & Finance: Building Budgets, forecasts and reporting sales and margins. Budgets to be constructed by channel, by week and by store by brand. New brand / department planning projections and forecasts. Assistance in CER process for Capex submissions. Business case submissions for investment requirements.
• Sales & Margin Reporting: Running and reviewing weekly reports and leading performance discussions at Trade Meetings. Category performance and analysis. Ad hoc reporting as required. Monitor performance to budget and escalate concerns.
• Supply Chain & Stock Optimisation: Stock and order management; ensuring the merchandising team are optimising opportunities but minimising risk through their weekly orders. Conduct range reviews in partnership with Buying. Supply chain communication – working closely with the DC to ensure all parties are aware of critical lead times and any issues. Tackling non-compliant suppliers. Managing process around aged or discontinued stock, particularly ahead of Sale periods and at year end. Propose markdowns and monitor progress. Regular communication around stock with stores.
• Maximising Department Sales & Margin Opportunities: Encourage cross functional working between the Merchandising & Buying teams. Work closely with the Buying Manager to identify opportunities and risks; to drive sales and protect margins. Work alongside the buying team, assisting with launch buys, large event buys and suggesting ways to improve our existing stock position via trade promotions & pricing strategies. Work closely with the online team to support the acceleration of this channel via trade initiatives & key strategic projects. Review Space Planning & provide densities in partnership with Buying. Develop a trading culture with stores covering sales and profitability, to facilitate a dynamic approach to our business with rolling methodical analysis, including stock and commitment control and in season trading.
• Relationship & Team Management Build and maintain strong, commercially focused relationships with suppliers across all categories of Beauty. Attend supplier meetings to ensure robust joint business plans and optimise key launch opportunities. Ensure beauty merch team are recruited, trained & inspired to deliver the divisional strategy, working in partnership with their buying counterpart. Develop & retain talent. Deputise for the Beauty Director when appropriate. Interface effectively with other Head Office functions to ensure Beauty’s success (buying, online, finance & logistics). Develop and maintain excellent relationships with store colleagues, (General Managers & Beauty Sales Managers), to deliver the Harvey Nichols Beauty vision on a national scale. Conduct store visits as appropriate.
• Decision making Autonomous decision-making & ownership is required in the running of the Merch department to solve immediate issues or queries with suppliers, stores and internal teams at Head Office. All major decisions are undertaken in consultation with the Beauty Director.

Is this you?

We are looking for individuals who embrace diversity, love a challenge, are passionate about luxury retail and are looking for something uniquely different. Are you:

• Recent working knowledge of beauty buying, marketing & merchandising.
• Excellent industry relationships.
• Previous experience of working in an omni-channel luxury retail environment.
• Experience in leading a successful & motivated team.
• A strategic and analytical thinker, with a passion for luxury beauty.
• Results and performance driven.
• Ability to read and interpret financial data.
• Ability to problem solve.
• Intuitive, resilient & adaptable.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Excellent planning and organisation skills; ability to drive process and new ways of working.

Where do I sign?
If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you!

If you are already thinking of what you will wear on your first day (no we don’t have uniforms) and this role catches your eye, hit the “apply” button below to kick-start your journey with us.