Merchandiser - Nike

Very Group; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail company in Liverpool is seeking a Merchandiser to manage product assortment and collaborate with the Nike brand team. The ideal candidate should possess strong analytical skills and retail merchandising experience, with the ability to manage relationships and drive department strategy. This role includes responsibilities in commercial activities and mentoring junior staff. Benefits include a flexible working model and various employee perks.

Benefits

Flexible, hybrid working model

£1,000 flexible benefits allowance

30 days holiday + bank holidays

Udemy learning access

Bonus potential

Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

Matched pension up to 6%

Qualifications

• Experience as a Merchandiser or established Junior Merchandiser.
• Strong communication skills for cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to analyze and articulate findings from data.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for commercial merchandising activities across planning and trading.
• Support and coach the Junior Merchandiser and Assistant Merchandiser.
• Drive the department vision and strategy in partnership with teams.
• Manage pricing throughout the product lifecycle.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong commercial acumen

Ability to establish relationships

Problem solving/critical thinking

Good knowledge of Excel

Education

Retail experience

Job description

About us

We are The Very Group and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on Very.co.uk to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too; building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the team

We’re looking for trend aware sports enthusiasts to join our dedicated Nike buying & merchandising team. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with one of the world’s biggest brands, which will be across multiple sports disciplines as well as sport-style fashion.

As part of The Very Sports Team, you will deliver a product offer that our customers will love - while also considering the overall department strategy.

Relationship building is essential in this role to ensure you are working closely with your immediate team, the wider Sports Buying Team, the Marketing Team and of course - Nike.

About the role

The Merchandiser role focuses on bringing the customer the right product at the right time. Working closely with the Buying team, you will build assortment strategies with focus on ensuring the best possible range for our customers. Looking at internal data, history and competitor performance whilst managing the supplier relationship.

Day to day you will be responsible for commercial merchandising activities across planning and trading, and the execution of tasks related to the product lifecycle, whilst meeting with and managing the brand relationship with Nike.

We’re looking for someone who is highly motivated, great attention to detail, has strong commercial acumen and a passion for data and analysis. The ideal candidate will have experience working already as a Merchandiser or an established Junior Merchandiser who is ready for the next level.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for full ownership of planning and trading

• Supporting and coaching the Junior Merchandiser and Assistant Merchandiser

• Ensuring the departmental framework commercialises the product strategy & that business KPI’s are delivered

• Driving the department vision & strategy forward in partnership internal and external teams

• Capturing & reviewing lessons learnt, providing updates to senior management

• Working alongside buying to place both future & in season buys
• Manage effective pricing approach throughout the product lifecycle to ensure volume and margin maintained, whilst stocks managed, aligning to the trading plan.
• Manage and optimise the critical path to effectively fulfil merchandise plans.
• Optimise product lifecycle including replenishment with utilisation of the Forecasting application
• Developing strong relationships & ways of working
• Developing current systems and processes to ensure best practise within the team

About you

We know that our expectations are high, as are our ambitions as a business, so we are aware that one candidate will not have all of the below experience.

The ideal candidate will have/be:

• A retail professional with strong Merchandising experience.
• Good knowledge of excel.
• Strong with numbers – able to produce, analyse and articulate findings from reports.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to establish relationships, internal & external - working cross functionally and collaboratively.
• Desire to understand the Very customer.
• Problem solving/critical thinking.
• Decision making skills.
• Ability to prioritise and manage workload.
• A great attitude and who is willing to learn.

Some of our benefits.

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews

• £1,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Udemy learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on Very.co.uk

• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in‑person or held remotely.

You can expect a one‑stage interview process for this position:

1st stage - A one‑hour formal interview where you can expect both competency and technical questions. This can be held either in‑person or remotely.

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.