Junior Merchandiser - Seasonal Range

Dobbies; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days’ annual leave (pro rata for PT

Hybrid working: office + home

Generous uncapped discount: 50% in our

Enhanced company pension

Dobbies Academy & funded study

Wellbeing support: Retail Trust

Cycle to work scheme

Life assurance & eye care

Dog-friendly office & social events

Job summary

Dobbies is seeking a proactive Retail Merchandiser to maximise department sales and profit. You will plan ranges with the Buyer, manage stock and orders, and drive margins while developing allocators and ensuring best-practice processes.

You’ll monitor divisional KPIs, prepare business plans, and coordinate with suppliers and store teams to optimise stock levels and store performance. Hybrid working available.

Qualifications

• Experience in retail merchandising, allocation or stock planning.
• Advanced Excel (pivot tables, lookups) with Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong numeracy with commercial and financial awareness.
• Understanding of domestic and global supply chain processes.
• Excellent organisation, planning and attention to detail.
• Confidence managing several priorities against tight deadlines.
• Good negotiation, presentation and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships across the business.
• Experience supervising or coaching others is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Plan ranges with the Buyer, using historical data, future trends and seasonal variations.
• Analyse sales, trends and performance to spot opportunities and reduce risk.
• Make sure orders are placed on time and are sufficient to meet sales targets.
• Plan promotions and volume deals when needed.
• Manage reforecasting of the Weekly Sales, Stock and Intake (WSSI) plan and Open-to-Buy (OTB).
• Maintain the buying calendar and critical path with the team.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers so issues are resolved quickly.
• Visit stores regularly to understand customers and support store teams.
• Work with Space Planning to ensure planograms and replenishment parameters are set up and launched on time.

Skills

Retail merchandising

Stock planning

Advanced Excel

Numeracy

Supply chain knowledge

Organisation & planning

Prioritisation under deadlines

Negotiation & presentation

Communication

Leadership / coaching

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

About the role

You’ll be responsible for maximising sales and profit for a designated department through effective planning and trading. Working closely with the Buyer; you’ll plan ranges, manage stock & orders, and hit sales, stock & margin targets. You’ll also manage and develop the Allocators, making sure best-practice processes are in place.

What you’ll do

• Help deliver divisional KPIs: sales, stock, intake margin, markdown and net margin
• Prepare business plans, including scopes and range reviews
• Plan ranges with the Buyer, using historical data, future trends and seasonal variations
• Analyse sales, trends and performance to spot opportunities and reduce risk
• Make sure orders are placed on time and are sufficient to meet sales targets
• Plan promotions and volume deals when needed
• Manage reforecasting of the Weekly Sales, Stock and Intake (WSSI) plan and Open-to-Buy (OTB), keeping them aligned with stock requirements
• Maintain the buying calendar and critical path with the team
• Build strong relationships with suppliers so issues are resolved quickly
• Visit stores regularly to understand customers and support store teams
• Work with Space Planning to make sure planograms and replenishment parameters are set up and launched on time

What success looks like

• The right amount of stock is bought to optimise sales
• Stores have the right stock levels on the shop floor and in the stockroom
• Store teams are kept informed and can deliver their KPIs
• Your team’s workload is well organised and supports the wider strategy
• Colleagues value working with you

What you’ll bring

• Experience in retail merchandising, allocation or stock planning
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups) and confidence with Word and PowerPoint
• Strong numeracy with commercial and financial awareness
• Understanding of domestic and global supply chain processes
• Excellent organisation, planning and attention to detail
• Confidence managing several priorities against tight deadlines
• Good negotiation, presentation and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships across the business
• Experience supervising or coaching others is a plus

Our values

We’re one team, getting better every day. We bring a smile. We live and breathe gardens. We make it work for our customers.

What we offer

• 33 days’ annual leave (pro rata for part time)
• Hybrid working: a mix of office and home working
• Generous uncapped discount: 50% off in our restaurants, 25% in the garden centre and 10% in our food halls
• Enhanced company pension
• Learning and development: Dobbies Academy plus funded study and qualifications
• Financial wellbeing: Stream app for early access to earned pay, savings and advice
• Wellbeing support: Retail Trust, including a virtual GP, free counselling and retail discounts
• Interest-free season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme
• Life assurance and eye care
• A great place to work: dog-friendly office, wellbeing room, free tea and coffee, annual conference, plus summer and Christmas socials

About Us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. We champion garden living all-year-round.

Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

We offer a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together, and we have a national charity partner that both our colleagues and customers raise money for,

We’re committed to being a great place to work. We’re one team and we encourage our colleagues to be the best version of themselves, every day; to share their wins and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.

About us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. We champion garden living all-year-round.

Many of our stores feature a restaurant or coffee shop, where customers can enjoy refreshments or meals in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

We offer a calendar of events and experiences that bring people and communities together, and we have a national charity partner that both our colleagues and customers raise money for,

We’re committed to being a great place to work. We’re one team and we encourage our colleagues to be the best version of themselves, every day; to share their wins and celebrate success. Together, we make it work for our customers.