Merchant Associate: Brand & Product Planning

Bath & Body Works, Inc; Reynoldsburg (OH); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Stock Purchase Program

Paid time off

Parental leave

Merchandise discount

Education assistance

Job summary

The role involves coordinating with cross-functional teams, maintaining timelines, and ensuring product descriptions meet brand standards while staying customer-focused.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in brand development, merchandise buying and/or retail management.
• Capability to take direction under moderate supervision.
• Experience patterning competitors and the marketplace, sees the opportunities, and ability to make recommendations for new insights.
• Broad-based eye for business with analytical and retail math skills.
• Demonstrates strong knowledgebase of trends and can creatively translate it to strategies to drive the business
• Demonstrate a passion for product and customer satisfaction.
• Be a self-starter and work independently producing accurate work. Ability to lead through challenges, problem-solve and build a cohesive team.
• Exceptional ability to enhance cooperative working relationships.
• Able to multi-task and prioritize with a strong time management skills.
• Systems and computer proficiency (MS Office-Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel)

Responsibilities

• Work alongside Senior/Merchant on growth-driving brand strategy and planning, including new product development, pricing, promotions / sampling, internal associate education and training, patterning, performance analysis and hind-sighting
• Support the creation of internal presentations to executives and cross-functional teams, from concept brainstorming to drafting documents to preparing meeting materials
• Responsible for accurately coordinating new development projects, including process paperwork (e.g. Project Initiation Forms, Design Requests, Product Briefs for all products, sampling and gift sets), Costing Analysis and leading communication flow to cross-functional team members
• Seek alignment on product description, claims, and aesthetics with partners
• Collaborate with Commercialization Services to supervise timelines, anticipate / communicate issues and drive due dates on time
• Supports the Merchant in developing a line plan that represents the Brand and is aligned with the seasonal merchandise strategy
• Analyzes data in weekly business meetings to share result driving insights, customer feedback, and in-store merchandising opportunities
• Seen as the category guide and "go to" person by their cross-functional partners
• Support in meeting preparation, sample management, report evaluation and analysis and share their POV and recommendations based on current results and category strategy
• Become the authority in market intelligence: understanding other retailer's assortment, pricing and promotional strategy
• Visit stores regularly to proactively solicit feedback from customers and sales associates

Skills

Brand development

Merchandise buying

Retail management

Analytical skills

Retail math

Time management

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

The role involves coordinating with cross-functional teams, maintaining timelines, and ensuring product descriptions meet brand standards while staying customer-focused.