Ralph Lauren Merchandising Intern

Ralph Lauren; Greater London; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Ralph Lauren Corporation is offering a 12-month internship at one of its two head offices in Watford or Cork Street, London. The successful candidate will provide integral operational support to the Merchandising team, ensuring financial plans and seasonal strategies are executed from inception to store implementation.

Regular travel to offices is required, for a full year from August 2027. The role focuses on reporting, data analysis, forecasting, and coordinating stock and distribution

Qualifications

• Strong commercial and analytical mindset.
• Attention to detail and proactive approach.
• Ability to organise, prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and spoken communication.
• Experience with Excel and retail math.

Responsibilities

• Update weekly, monthly, and ad hoc reports.
• Prepare for weekly trade meetings and present trade messages.
• Provide data support for size and colour performance analysis.
• Own line cards forecasting, sales units and inventory to prevent stockouts.
• Update seasonal recodes and manage stock delivery schedules.
• Assist with seasonal markdowns and store communications.
• Monitor DC available inventory and optimize sell-through.
• Support release of initial distributions and in-season replenishment.
• Collaborate across Buying, Allocations, and stores.

Skills

Commercial & Analytical

Attention to detail

Proactive

Problem solving

Time management

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Excel

Tools

Excel

Job description

Company Description

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview

We are offering a 12-month internship at one of our two Ralph Lauren Head offices located in Watford and Cork Street, London. The successful candidate will provide integral operational support to the Merchandising team, to ensure we achieve our department financial plans, and our seasonal strategies are realized from inception all the way to implementation in store. The successful candidate should be prepared to travel to one of these offices regularly and be available for a full year from August 2027.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Update reports on a weekly, monthly, and ad hoc basis.
• Attends and prepares for weekly trade meetings, over time being able to formulate and deliver a trade message independently.
• Provides accurate data to support analysis such as size as: size or colour performance.
• Owns the departments line cards, which are style level forecasting documents in excel. Forecasting sales units and the inventory. To ensure it is never out of stock.
• Systematically updates seasonal recodes which are the styles we carry from one season to the next.
• Owns department stock delivery schedule and communicates updates including early deliveries or delays.
• Assists with seasonal markdowns & communication to stores.
• Track and monitor Distribution Center (DC) available inventory for the product group, maximizing sales to stock ratios and turn.
• Execute the release of initial product distributions and in season replenishment to stores.
• Monitor and ensure full size availability of best sellers, Continuity lines and seasonal products in stores maximize sell through.

Commercial Awareness

• Participate in regular store visits, collating store reports prior and assisting in creating follow up presentations.
• To undertake competitor visits on a regular basis and feedback any relevant points.

Training and development

• To adopt a positive and proactive approach to their own training and development as well as that of their peers.
• Proactively promotes improvements to working practices and systems.
• Participates in company initiatives as appropriate.

Communications & Partnerships

• Creates and maintains strong working relationships within cross-functional teams: Buying, Allocations, RLE (our website team) and the retail store teams.
• Liaises with Assortment Planning and Buying partners to review and assist in the formation of the seasonal lessons learnt. Influencing future Buys, using analysis and historical data to ensure commercial decisions are made.
• Communicate initial release and replenishment strategies within cross functional team.
• Participate in cross functional meetings, contributing input on distribution strategies.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

SKILLS

• Commercial and Analytical.
• Attention to detail.
• Able to work on own initiative and be pro-active.
• Able to demonstrates logical analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Able to organize, prioritise tasks and manages time well in order to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrates good listening, written and oral communication skills, effectively and clearly communicates.
• Able to build and maintain productive relationships within team environment.
• Microsoft application skills, particularly Excel. Show ability or aptitude in retail mathematics and able to learn technical applications quickly. Able to demonstrate resilience and remain positive during challenging period

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You must have the right to work in the UK and would need to provide it at the Assessment Day if successful in securing an interview. This internship would be suitable for students requiring a year in industry to complete your university or college degree, or others that can demonstrate a considerable interest in starting your career in the fashion and retail industry.