Merchandiser

SwagUp; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

BDA Inc. in Manchester is seeking a Merchandiser to develop compelling product assortments and build strategic supplier relationships for our clients.

You will translate trends into creative, profitable products, manage assortments end to end, and collaborate across teams to deliver on brand and customer goals. The role mixes onsite work with one remote day.

The base salary range is £30,000 to £36,000, with growth potential based on skills, education and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• 3–5 years in retail buying, product development, merchandising and/or planning
• Fluency in MS Office suite including Excel
• Oracle experience a plus
• Experience working with UK and European suppliers is a plus
• Proficiency in French, German, or another European language would be a plus

Responsibilities

• Define seasonal product strategies and identify opportunities
• Negotiate, build and source strategic, profitable product assortments
• Lead weekly merchandising status calls with clients
• Maintain successful product line presentations to clients
• Manage cost targets, MSRP and quantities based on past SKUs/like items
• Oversee day-to-day activities for product launches/refreshes

Skills

Merchandise strategy

Market intelligence

Retail knowledge

Data analysis

Cross-functional influence

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

MS Office

Excel

Oracle

Job description

Most companies claim to have the best people. We say to them, "Keep dreaming." Our people are second to none. They set us apart with their entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. They come to us from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and the sports world, bringing energy, bold ideas and a willingness to dive into the unfamiliar. It's our people that make BDA the top global Merchandise Agency to work for.

Job Summary

As a Merchandiser at BDA, you will be responsible for independently developing, sourcing, and curating compelling and profitable product assortments for our clients while negotiating and developing strategic supplier relationships. The Merchandiser must earn the trust of internal and external customers by building assortment strategies that deliver creative and profitable products that represent the clients’ brands and speak to the end customer.

BDA’s ideal Merchandiser is ambitious in nature, detail oriented, comfortable working in cross‑functional teams, and passionate about the retail and ecommerce industry. They are organized and adept at time management skills with experience initiating and implementing merchandise strategies.

Location

This role is based in Manchester or London, UK and offers a flexible onsite schedule of onsite 4 days per week, with 1 day remote. To be considered, you must live within commuting distance, as regular in‑person collaboration is a key part of the role.

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

• Define seasonal product strategies that identify future opportunities and trends.
• Take current trends and translate into creative product.
• Understand a range of decoration methods and assess their impact on product appearance, functionality, quality, and commercial viability.
• Adapt designs to meet the preferences and needs of different regions and customer groups.
• Negotiate, build and source strategic and profitable product assortments.
• Independently drive sales through the selection of product, pricing and return on investment.
• Use current and historical data to evaluate what is working effectively or not and create actionable insights that inform the line architecture.
• Demonstrate analytical and critical thinking and apply to the business.
• Understand assigned clients’ brands and identify products that represent and target their end customer.
• Run weekly merchandise status calls with clients and internal WIP meetings.
• Ensure successful product line presentations to clients. Use data and influencing skills to gain partnership from internal partners and clients on assortment strategies to ensure profitability.
• Share productivity of assortment with accounts and internal partners.
• Confidence and ability to articulate and sell a concept to a business team.
• Oversee day‑to‑day activities for product launches/refreshes.
• Responsible for areas including compliance, quality, and operational metrics (e.g., compliance, alliance partners, product margin).
• Negotiate buying terms with suppliers (price, quantity, quality, delivery).
• Oversee the execution of the assortment launch.
• Build/update product status smartsheet for tracking – internal/external views.
• Help create SKUs for online stores, and prepare product images.
• Help assort styles/silhouettes based on past selling history/sales goals/season.
• Help select color standards within seasonal color stories.
• Request graphic development and review with design team.
• Review tech packs for accuracy with design team.
• Review lab dips with designer.
• Work with team to determine cost targets, MSRP and quantities based on past SKUs/like items.
• Send any development samples or lab dips to client.
• Review TOP samples for accuracy and send to client + add to sample library.

Job Skills and Traits

• Experience initiating, recommending, and implementing merchandise strategies.
• Strong understanding of and ability to apply market intelligence.
• Understanding of retail and the service environment.
• Experience analyzing, interpreting, and applying consumer data.
• Track record of building profitable assortment plans.
• Skilled at cross‑functional influence.
• Experience working with accounts or retail stores to deliver profitable and relevant assortments.
• Works and communicates effectively with cross‑divisional leadership.
• Consensus building skills – ability to persuade co‑workers of the benefits of positive changes.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of work and experience.
• Minimum 3–5 years of retail buying, product development, merchandising and/or planning experience.
• Fluency in MS Office suite including Excel, Word, PowerPoint.
• Oracle experience a plus.
• Experience working with UK and European suppliers is a plus.
• Proficiency in French, German, or another European language would be a plus.

We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is £30,000 to £36,000. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, education, and experience, while also taking internal equity and pay fairness into account. In the spirit of transparency, the range listed represents the full base salary range for the role, with starting salaries typically set within this range to allow room for growth over time.

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BDA Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

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