Senior Merchandiser

Dunelm; Leicester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Dunelm is seeking a Senior Merchandiser in Leicester to maximize sales through effective stock and trading strategy execution. In this role, you will leverage your commercial acumen, strong analytical skills, and collaborate with Buyers and colleagues across categories to enhance product availability and performance.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for homewares, strategic thinking abilities, and a proven track record in supply chain management. Join us in driving success through innovative approaches and team synergy.

Qualifications

• Passion for homewares and energy to innovate.
• Understanding of critical path and supply chain management.
• Ability to create effective plans to achieve department goals.

Responsibilities

• Ensure great availability to maximize sales.
• Create and deliver the departmental strategy.
• Drive and implement actions to meet the stock budget.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Relationship building

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Tools

Excel

Job description

Overview

Home. There’s no place like it. And there’s no feeling like helping people create the joy of feeling truly at home. At Dunelm, that’s what we do. We’re the UK's number one choice for homewares because we make home life lovelier for our customers. The caring and encouraging culture we've created makes this a place you'll feel right at home too.

We are the UK’s Number One homewares retailer offering over 100,000 products building a consumer-focused total retail business that delights customers through our multichannel operation. We are determined in our plans to increase further expansion of the business to more customers, shopping more frequently, with more choice, enhanced digital and physical services, and new capabilities to innovate and operate at pace in a fast-changing landscape. In developing the business for the long-term benefit of our customers, we are investing in our supply chain, stores and technology to improve the customer proposition as we progress. The Commercial team are responsible for sourcing, developing and selling products that represent fantastic value for money, offer great quality, are innovative and sustainable. The commercial team are also responsible for trading ranges to optimise sales and profit and for developing strong relationships with our suppliers. You will be joining a talented team of Buyers, Merchandisers and Designers. The team environment is fast-paced and energetic. We are positive, ambitious, forward-looking and data driven. We have to take calculated risks, to keep growing market share. Our focus is to drive sales and profit for Dunelm through sourcing the best quality products, at the best prices, from sustainable and ethical sources. You will be a key member of the Commercial Team, accountable for executing the trading strategy for your product department.

What you’ll be doing

As a Senior Merchandiser, you will be accountable for ensuring great availability to maximise sales whilst delivering the stock and trading strategy within the department. You will have sound commercial acumen, and excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills. You will know what and how to pull the levers to maximise sales and profit and I’m quick to react to issues and opportunities. You will work collaboratively with colleagues in the category and together will constantly evolve the plans to achieve the biggest impact and growth in the short/medium term.

Other Responsibilities As a Senior Merchandiser Will Include

• Confidently create, present, and deliver the departmental strategy and sign off alongside the buying team.
• Identify key insights and actions to improve performance and customer experience.
• Prepare markdown proposals and communicate the impact of the category going forward.
• Help shape the sales and margin budget for the financial year and contribute to the commercial review meetings balancing opportunities and risk.
• Drive and implement actions using the stock tool to ensure the stock budget is met and sales are maximised providing updates on these actions for the monthly stock budget reviews.
• Manage the critical path working cross-functionally within the category team to ensure on-time launch.
• Provide historical data to help propose a new range direction.
• Support decisions on product mix, option planning, price architecture and churn with the Buyer.
• Rank and grade products with the Buyer to ensure we are making the best use of the graded space available.
• Propose an exit plan for all end-of-season (EOS) lines to ensure maximum profit and recommend the best deal on supplier stock and pricing to the buying team.
• Ensure the web is used as a platform for trialling new ranges and the web is the first and last in stock.
• Lead weekly departmental trade with my Buying counterpart to agree on what levers can be pulled to maximise sales and profit.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews (PIR) with the Buying team and implement actions to maximise best sellers and reduce risk in under-performers.
• Sign off purchase orders within my threshold, balancing stock/availability and warehouse capacity.
• Attend overseas trips to build relationships, negotiate with the supply base and find new routes.
• Ensure POs are managed on the system, so they accurately reflect the intake plan.
• Manage DTS suppliers to ensure their forward stock pipeline is healthy.
• Check presentation levels are set appropriately against ROS, pack size and space.

What we’ll look for in you

• A real passion for homewares and the energy to constantly innovate and drive the range forward
• Strategic thinking. Ability to identify opportunities and risks, and create effective plans to achieve your department goals
• A thorough understanding of critical path and supply chain management
• Advanced planning and analytical skills, including Excel
• First-rate time management and prioritisation skills, and understand business impact on my prioritisation
• Use your network effectively to build strong relationships with the colleagues in the category and the wider team
• Take ownership and have resilience to continue to drive for results. Confident to challenge
• Strong attention to detail
• Constantly looking for ways to improve my category and myself
• Proactively problem solve to anticipate potential issues and implement solutions before they escalate
• A self starter who sets ambitious goals for themselves and their team
• Confidence in working with data and insights to enable data-driven decision making
• Able to spot opportunities and provide solutions at pace
• Role model key leadership and Dunelm values and encourage others to do so.