Junior Merchandiser - Footwear

JD Sports Fashion Plc; Luton; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

JD Sports Fashion Plc seeks a Junior Merchandiser at their Head Office in Bury. You will manage your department, analyze historical data, collaborate with teams to optimize performance, and help in defining future merchandise strategies. Join a leading retailer to help shape the future of the sports and outdoor industry.

Benefits

Staff discounts across JD Group and other brands

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Ability to manage stock levels and supplier relationships.
• Experience with category planning and trading performance.
• Strong collaboration skills with various teams.

Responsibilities

• Review previous seasons and produce SWOT analyses.
• Manage order books and develop forecasts.
• Collaborate with the team to deliver the merchandise plan.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Teamwork

Communication

Job description

JD Sports- Head Office, Warwick House, Bury, Bury, United Kingdom Req #113

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world.

JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally.

We aim to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. Join us to help achieve this goal by embracing our strategic focus on being a people-led, innovative, and customer-focused organization that delivers operational excellence and explores new growth areas.

As a Junior Merchandiser, you'll manage your department, seeking sales opportunities and assisting the Merchandiser with defining strategy and planning future ranges.

• Location: JD Group Head Office, Bury, Greater Manchester. BL9 8RR.
• Working Hours - Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm

Key Responsibilities:

Planning:

• Review previous seasons and produce SWOT analyses with supporting data.
• Create category-level product mixes based on historical data, SWOT analysis, and SMT plans.
• Collaborate with the Senior Merchandiser to formulate space and grading plans for store distribution.
• Ensure the WSSI is updated with the buy plan and KPIs are approved by the Senior Merchandiser.
• Develop scheduling and ideals for your area of responsibility.
• Participate in key selection meetings with the Senior Merchandiser and Buyer.
• Build the range plan and layout plans in conjunction with buying and VM teams.
• Oversee ratios for all buys with the Assistant Merchandiser.
• Ensure buy matches the plan buy.
• Establish and maintain relationships with suppliers.
• Manage order books seasonally and pre-season to maintain accurate system data.
• Manage stock seasonality within the WSSI.

Trading:

• Review weekly trading performance and KPIs, identifying issues and actions for meetings.
• Propose actions to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities with the Senior Merchandiser and Buyer.
• Record actions in monthly forecast reviews.
• Develop forecasts from category/season to buyer group level.
• Gain approval for forecasts and manage sales variances, commitments, and markdown proposals.
• Provide retail teams with rack and hit lists via Merchandise Assistants.
• Adjust the range plan seasonally based on performance and store visits.
• Manage linecards and intake at category and line levels.
• Visit stores regularly and develop action plans to optimize store performance.
• Manage store stock levels to ensure optimal inventory without overstocking or stockouts.

Teamwork:

• Report to the Senior Merchandiser.
• Collaborate with the team to deliver the merchandise plan.
• Guide and develop the merchandising team, including Assistant Merchandiser and Merchandise Assistants.
• Communicate store performance insights to relevant teams.
• Build relationships with Store Operations, Visuals, Marketing, Finance, and Distribution Centers.

#LI-SA1

We value our colleagues' efforts and offer benefits such as staff discounts across JD Group and other brands, along with personal development opportunities.

• Location: JD Sports- Head Office, Warwick House, Bury, Bury, United Kingdom