Junior Merchandiser, Womenswear - Sale or Return

John Lewis Partnership; Greater London; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Office in Pimlico

Job summary

John Lewis Partnership is seeking a Junior Merchandiser for the Sale or Return (SOR) & Direct to Customer (D2C) team, focusing on Womenswear SOR Brands and Fashion D2C. You’ll plan ranges, forecast performance, and manage stock with guidance from senior merchandisers.

Hybrid London-based role with collaboration across buyers, trading and supply chain. Night premium applies for certain hours; strong Excel/BI skills are valued.

Qualifications

• Forecasting & planning, WSSI management and stakeholder management experience.
• Experience in a fast-paced brand-led environment.
• Proven track record in driving trade actions and KPIs.
• Experience in margin modelling and flow planning.
• Merchandising practices including assortment planning and stock management.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills with data-driven mindset.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets; experience with BI tools.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Understanding of Retail Operations and Supply Chain Management.
• Collaborative range planning with buyers.

Responsibilities

• Plan and forecast sales, stock, profit, and SKUs with support from the L6 Merchandiser.
• Drive in-season trading and commercial terms with suppliers.
• Manage stock flow via Merchandising Assistants; optimise availability and costs.
• Work with cross-functional teams including Buyer, Head of Merchandising, and Supply Chain.
• Maintain high-profile supplier relationships and category performance.
• Make season trading decisions in collaboration with Buying.

Skills

Forecasting & Planning

WSSI management

Stakeholder management

Trade actions & KPIs

Margin modelling

Range planning

Stock management

Analytical & numerical skills

Excel/Google Sheets

Tableau / BI tools

Communication & presentation

Retail Operations & Supply Chain

Collaboration with buyers

Tools

Excel/Google Sheets

Tableau

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

Would you like to work for an iconic brand ?
Are you great at analysing data and building relationships?
Do you have experience in building great supplier relationships?

We are looking for a Junior Merchandiser to join our Sale or Return (SOR) & Direct to Customer (D2C) team. Looking after Womenswear SOR Brands and all Fashion D2C brands.

You will use your analytical and commercial skills to plan and optimise the best range for customers within your category. You will work under the guidance of the Merchandising Manager and Merchandiser to deliver your agreed KPIs including; sales, profit, stock, SKUs, availability, margin and risk management.

You will maximise opportunities as they arise and lead the in-season trading to potentialise the outcome for both customers and your category.

You will task manage Merchandising Assistant/s relevant to your product category, ensuring they have clear guidelines to fulfil their role.

You will analyse commercial inputs to develop, with the Buyer, the best range of products supported by effective and comprehensive range planning and pricing architecture to deliver market leading assortments.In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

• Salary - £34,000.00 - £51,500.00 is the full pay band; however, we are looking for candidates up to £43K depending on experience
• Contract type This is a Permanent position
• Working pattern/flexible working This is a hybrid working role. The normal place of work for this role is our London Central Office in Pimlico. The expectation is a minimum of 3 days per week in the office as team collaboration is critical in this role - core days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please note, there is a requirement to visit external suppliers and branches regularly
• Location This role is based at our Pimlico Head Office campus

Key responsibilities

• You will be accountable for accurately planning and forecasting sales, stock, profit and SKUs for your category with the support of the L6 Merchandiser.
• You will be accountable for the commercial and customer success of a product range through range planning and agile in-season trading, using analysis and reporting from Product Operations.
• Through the Merchandising Assistants you will manage the flow of stock for your office and controlling inventory levels. You are accountable for maximising availability across channels whilst minimising inventory holding costs and other supply chain costs.
• You will work at pace and with agility within a collaborative environment with your Merchandiser, Buyer, Head of Merchandising, Supply Chain, Trade Planning, sourcing, Trading Operations team, Design and Product Technology. Externally you will hold a strong relationship with your supplier and Brands.
• You will be managing high profile branded relationships.
• In collaboration with Buying, you will need to make season trading and volume decisions along with the commercial terms and product lifecycle with the suppliers.
• You will Task Manage relevant Merchandising Assistant partner/s in your team.

Essential skills/experience you’ll need:

• Experience in Forecasting & Planning, WSSI management, influencing & stakeholder management
• Experience in a fast paced brand led environment.
• Proven experience in driving trade actions and managing performance against agreed KPIs
• Experience in BTA preparation, margin modelling and flow planning
• Ability to demonstrate experience in merchandising practices, including assortment planning and stock management
• Strong Analytical and Numerical Skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google sheets or similar analytical tools
• Proficiency in reporting tools such as Business Intelligence, Tableau
• Communication and Presentation Skills
• Understanding of Retail Operations and Supply Chain Management
• Proactive Approach to Learning and Development
• Collaboration and range planning alongside a buyer

Desirable skills/experience you may have:

• Experience working with brands
  

Closing Date:

October 2, 2026

Pay:

£34,000.00 - £51,100.00 Annual

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours of Work:

35

Job Level:

Partnership Level 8

Where You’ll Be Working:

London Central Office, 1 Drummond Gate, London, , SW1V 2QQ

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect.

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective.

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Important points to note:

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third‑party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.

We also recommend that you apply as soon as possible as vacancies can close early if we see a high number of applicants.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.