Category Head- Hardgoods & Luggage

FABINDIA LIMITED; Faridabad District; On-site; INR 1,400,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

FABINDIA LIMITED is seeking a Category Manager to lead and grow the existing category portfolio. You will strategize product range planning, manage calendars for design and launches, and drive promotions to maximise gross margins.

You will oversee inventory planning, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration with QA/QC to ensure timely deliveries and quality standards. A strong focus on regional preferences and team development is essential.

Qualifications

• 10-15 years of work experience with 5-8 years in Retail/Home décor sector.
• Experience handling P&L of the Category and understanding of Home Décor, Giftware, Luggage, Inventory, Margins, Web/Online channels.
• Min 4-5 years of team management experience.
• Strong knowledge of product trends and vendor networks.

Responsibilities

• Category Planning and Management: strategize product range, annual calendar, launches, promotions, stock rationalisation.
• Drive pricing, shelving, marketing and promotions to maximise visibility and GP targets.
• Sourcing & Purchasing: identify and purchase merchandise aligning with brand.

Skills

Category Planning

Inventory Management

Sourcing & Purchasing

Vendor Management

Team Management

Market Analysis

Product Knowledge

Brand & Merchandising

Negotiation

Forecasting

Time Management

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Planning & Organizing

Home Décor Knowledge

Crafts & Textiles

Fabindia Knowledge

Results Focus

Interpersonal Skills

Teamwork

Education

BF Tech / MF Tech

BE Textiles

BSc Home Science

MBA

MSc Wood

B Design

M Design

Job description

POSITION’S OBJECTIVE

(Brief on position’s objective) Manage and grow existing Category business in order to achieve targeted revenues and profits

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Category Planning and Management

Strategizing on the Product range planning and buying by identifying existing and new business opportunities

To develop and implement the annual calendar for design, range launches, promotions, stock rationalisation and discount

New product developments, timely approvals & placement of orders to ensure timely deliveries

To drive the pricing, shelving, marketing and promotions of the category's products in order to make them as visible, accessible, and appealing to customers

To ensure the targeted GP for the category is met

To provide support to BH in P & L Management of the category

To customise product mixes for regional preferences

To create and maintain workflows, WIP, Time and Action plan for the category. Process to be reviewed and refined at regular intervals

To provide communication briefs addressing category requirement

Give briefs for category specific call outs at stores where required

To maintain a productive relationship with vendors that is mutually beneficial to the company and artisans.

Deploy orders to DP vendors judiciously and create an approved list of nominated vendors with PHs

Working closely with PH and QC on vendor rating and allocate PH and vendors for future order placements

To develop a competent base of vendors & ensure balanced distribution of work

To identify & grow new vendors to achieve goals of product offer & price

Production

To monitor production tracker of every style in the category and take early calls for opportunity maximization

To ensure support to markets by providing on time delivery as per seasonal requirements & promotion calendar timelines

To pre-empt delay & production failures & to come up with quick firefighting solutions

• Inventory Management

Responsible for managing inventory at PH and Markets.

Ensure effective planning and forecasting in order to optimise the inventory levels.

Maintain the fine balance between perennial orders & push to optimize sales & manage stocks

Develop effective pricing strategies; Buying and selling at right price to ensure targeted GPs

• Quality

To work with QA team to influence establishment of quality standards for the products

To take timely and effective commercial decisions

• Documentation & Report Analysis

To ensure that periodic reports related to category performance / Dashboards are made available as per the timeline and handle any query that may arise

• Market Interactions

Regularly interacting and visiting the stores to gather first hand customer response to the merchandise offering - style, quality, display & pricing.

Observe customer's purchase behaviour and commission researches to understand future product development / styling needs and pricing decisions

Interact directly with store teams to handle queries and objections, training store teams on Product

To interact with MRHs on specifics to help them achieve their target, faster growth

To present range to markets for categories future buys

• Team Management / Team Development

To hire deploy and manage team to enhance team productivity

To provide support, motivation and encouragement to colleagues and team members & explore job rotations and career planning

To handle conflicts, team member's non performance through mentoring and coaching

To identify training needs for the team and ensure they are addressed

Delegate & empower team for enhanced performance without abdicating responsibility

To work collectively and in collaborating manner across departments for enhanced productivity

• Core Responsibilities:

Sourcing & Purchasing

Identifying, selecting, and purchasing merchandise that aligns with the organizations brand and vision

Sales Reporting and Analysis

Analysing sales data, identifying bestsellers, product gaps and optimising product assortments to maximise profit margins

Trend Analysis and Market Research

Staying updated on current trends, mapping competition activity and consumer behaviour to make informed purchasing decisions

Communication & Negotiation Skills

Excellent communication skills with strong negotiation skills to interact with suppliers, internal teams, and stake holders

Problem Solving Skills

Ability to address inventory issues, supplier & internal challenges

Time Management & Organizational Skills

Ability to manage multiple tasks, prioritize deadlines, and stay organized

JOB SPECIFICATION: (QUALIFICATIONS/KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE)

• Years of Functional Experience: 10 - 15 years of work experience with at least 5-8 years of experience in Retail industry particularly Home Décor/Home Accessories/Giftware/ Luggage (Home & Lifestyle) Incumbent should have handled P&L of the Category and also understanding of Home Décor, Giftware, Luggage, Inventory, Margins , Web store / Online& Other channel sales of the Category. Min 4 - 5 years of Team management experience
• Degree/Diploma: B F tech / M F tech / BE Textiles / BSc Home Science / MBA / MSc Wood / B Design / M design
• Role: Team Management
• Knowledge & Skills:

Business Management

Product Knowledge

Sourcing and Vendor Management

Retail Operations

Marketing & Communications

Consumer Research

Crafts and textiles

Understanding of Fabindia

Focus on Results

Analytical Skills

Planning and Organizing

Ability to Train and Lead

Interpersonal Skills

Innovation and openness to learning

Teamwork