Merchandiser

Elevation Recruitment Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Elevation Recruitment Group seeks a Merchandiser to support strategy through merchandise planning, range construction and trading activities, while leading the Merchandising team and collaborating with stakeholders to hit KPIs.

The role focuses on strategic planning, in-season trading, stock management, and aligning with the promotional calendar to maximise sales and profitability across stores and channels.

Qualifications

• 3–4 years of merchandising experience.
• Highly numerate with excellent Excel skills.
• Analytical techniques and data analysis expertise.
• In-season trading experience.
• Experience leading a merchandising team.

Responsibilities

• Plan stock and seasonal ranges in line with budgets and strategy.
• Lead and develop the Merchandising Administrator.
• Forecast KPIs and manage allocations, replenishment, and IBT planning.
• Oversee store delivery and resolve queries with stakeholders.
• Coordinate with buying/retail for future season planning.
• Optimize markdowns to maximise sales and profit.

Skills

Merchandising

In-season trading

Data analysis

Stock planning

Team leadership

Tools

Excel

Job description

The Merchandiser will play an integral role in supporting the business strategy and growth plans by merchandise planning, constructing ranges, and delivering trading activities. Alongside leading and developing the Merchandising team, you will need to work collaboratively with key stakeholders, providing operational support in the execution of the business strategy to deliver KPIs.

The Role:

• Efficiently execute strategic planning and in-season trading to achieve the targeted sales and profitability goals for the department.
• Identify opportunities and risks to trade, report on key highlights/lowlights, implementing actions to capitalise on consumer and market demands alongside the promotional calendar.
• Weekly review of all retail and warehouse stocks, including allocation, replenishment and IBT planning to ensure availability targets are met and sales opportunities are fulfilled.
• Oversee the store delivery process with key internal and external stakeholders, managing and rectifying all queries with the teams.
• Proactively forecasting KPIs aligned with trading output, demands and the promotional calendar.
• Manage the markdown cycle throughout each season to maximise sales, profit and sell through.

Planning:

• Ensure optimum stock planning in line with the business strategy and budgets, executing space, category, and option planning for the retail channel.
• Strategically plan and deliver departmental trading activities, intake processes and KPI forecasting in conjunction with the planning of the WSSI and Open-to-Buy (OTB).
• Manage and oversee the update and review of the linecards with the merchandising team, taking necessary action in line with the critical path and business demands.
• Build and execute seasonal range planning, creating robust distribution and phasing plans that are aligned with the store demographic and pricing architecture.
• Working closely with the buying and retail teams to coordinate future season planning, ensuring alignment across departments.
• Co-ordinate with the Import Merchandisers and operation teams to leverage commercial opportunities, orchestrate delivery schedules and the daily planning of allocations, replenishment and IBTs.

Leadership:

• Lead the Merchandising Administrator on planning allocations, replenishment schedules, monitoring and amending pars to ensure optimum stock levels in all stores, concessions, and wholesale routes.
• Provide 1-2-1 support to the Merchandising Administrator within categories owned.

Skills & Qualifications:

• 3-4 years of experience in merchandising. Highly numerate with outstanding proficiency in Excel
• Demonstrated expertise in analytical techniques and data analysis.
• Verified track record in in-season trading.
• Expertise in planning and ranging, including WSSI management & linecards.
• Ability to react to changes in demand and logistics.
• The ability to identify and offer effective solutions to problems.
• Experience with managing a merchandising team of one or more.