Merchandiser: Product & Assortment Strategy Lead

CAbi, LLC; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

cabi is seeking a Merchandiser to join our Production team in Long Beach. The role leads seasonal assortment strategy, pricing alignment, and buy planning, partnering with Design, Sourcing & Development, and Inventory Management to deliver commercially viable lines that support brand storytelling.

The position reports to the Head of Product and will grow into greater strategic ownership, managing an Assistant Product Merchandiser and driving margin performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• 4–7+ years of experience in buying, merchandising, or product development within contemporary or women’s apparel.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen—comfortable owning trackers and data in Excel, buy depth, and chase scenarios.
• Experience working within a cross-functional product organization and mentoring or managing junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Own or support seasonal assortment strategy, line architecture, and category growth– from hindsight analysis and trend direction through assortment architecture, buy planning, and launch – in line with the broader product roadmap.
• Track and analyze style- and category-level performance data; translate insights into clear, actionable assortment and buying recommendations.
• Maintain and/or lead the product development critical path for assigned categories; manage line plans, item trackers, and milestone documents; proactively flag and resolve risks or delays.
• Partner with Design and Sourcing & Development on sample flow, fit review schedules, and product development milestones, providing commercial direction that weighs trend, brand voice, customer insight, and margin targets.
• Support costing and margin analysis at the style or category level; elevate exceptions, and identify opportunities to improve profitability without compromising product integrity.
• Partner closely with Inventory Management on buy depth, chase strategy, and lifecycle decisions; use performance data to balance Stylist demand against markdown and inventory risk.
• Conduct competitive market research – shopping, trend analysis, pricing benchmarks – and contribute findings and recommendations to assortment strategy discussions.
• Build and present seasonal hindsight recaps and forward-looking business cases; identify top and bottom performers and translate learnings into next-season recommendations.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing and Field teams to translate assortment intent into hero items, outfitting stories, and seasonal themes that are clear and ready for field selling, marketing content, and launch moments.
• Manage and develop the Assistant Product Merchandiser – delegating and reviewing work, and building their analytical and commercial merchandising instincts.
• Identify process improvement opportunities in assortment planning, data management, or cross-functional workflows, and recommend solutions.
• Perform related duties as assigned or as the situation dictates.

Skills

Merchandising

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's in Fashion Merchandising/Business

Tools

Excel

Job description

cabi is seeking a Merchandiser to join our Production team in Long Beach. The role leads seasonal assortment strategy, pricing alignment, and buy planning, partnering with Design, Sourcing & Development, and Inventory Management to deliver commercially viable lines that support brand storytelling.

The position reports to the Head of Product and will grow into greater strategic ownership, managing an Assistant Product Merchandiser and driving margin performance.