Merchandising Specialist

Findojobs South Africa; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail consultancy in South Africa seeks to hire an operational manager to develop and implement category selling solutions to enhance customer experiences and optimize sales growth. The role requires 3-5 years of retail experience and a strong commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction. Candidates must be analytical with good communication skills, and a relevant business degree is preferred.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years relevant retail experience.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data.
• Good communication and business writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational input into category strategy.
• Manage trials and conduct rollouts.
• Conduct regular store visits to identify sales opportunities.

Skills

Passion for the customer

Commitment to excellence

Strong business understanding

Attention to detail

Retail Space and Display Management

Education

Relevant business degree or diploma

Job description

Job category: FMCG, Retail, Wholesale and Supply Chain

Location: Western Cape

Contract: Permanent

EE position: No

Introduction

To develop, operationalize & successfully integrate the category selling solutions, initiatives and merchandising strategies for an enhanced customer shopping experience in order to optimize sales and profit growth.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational input into category strategy based on review of previous years’ operating plan
• Review and influence selling formats to optimize in store displays that are strategy reflective
• Co-create, co-ordinate and update input for annual format and blue print review i.t.o macro space allocation, flows and adjacencies in line with category strategic shifts.
• Co-ordinate and co-create the category annual Capex requirements
• Formulate design and implementation briefs for sign-off
• Manage trials and conduct rollouts and PIR’s
• Manage Seasonal execution in line with the ILF by:
• Translating the seasonal strategy into a fully integrated FOF per trading phase
• Manage the Seasonal model store process & workshops
• Create and deliver a Demo & tastings plan to enhance customer experience
• Co-create and develop Communication tools – implementation briefs, seasonal trading note, KTS, MSW communication
• Co-create and develop execution principles with annual review & update
• Drive seasonal trade through:
• Delivery of trend analysis and data interpretation to influence tactical plans across the category and stores
• Managing the delivery of sell more unit campaigns
• Ensure the successful Selling execution of New & modernised stores
• Conduct regular store visits to identify opportunities for execution improvement and sales opportunities to drive L4L performance.
• Ensure the effective communication and in store implementation of agreed macro and micro space and merchandising principles in line with category strategies.
• Continuously improve category merchandising and proactively seek opportunities to drive category and business growth.
• Deliver to category launches in line with the Integrated Launch Calendar.
• Ensure that micro space layouts (shop within shop) accurately reflect the customer decision tree and category strategy.
• Identify and influence range and catalogue opportunities and ensure micro space optimisation.
• Participate in setting selling and category team objectives, goals and agreed ways of working.
• Coach & develop store candidates and divisional launch teams to enable succession pipeline
• Drive integration and partnership with key stakeholders to enable strategy execution and effective launch of initiatives.
• Relevant business degree or diploma (preferred)
• 3-5 years relevant retail experience (or combination for store/buying/planning)
• Demonstrates passion for and commitment to excellence, the customer, the Woolies brand and organisation, each other, South Africa, transformation and sustainability
• Role models the Woolies values: Quality and Style, Value, Service, Innovation, Integrity, Energy
• Demonstrates a commitment to high performance – is delivery focused and goal driven, flexible and thrives on and responds to performance feedback
• Understands themselves and the impact they have on the people they interact with and the organisational culture
• Adjusts their behaviour accordingly
• Plays a leading role in driving sustainable transformational initiatives at an operational level
• Is recognised by their leadership team, peers and reports as competent
• Builds strong networks and strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Engages and connects people to enable delivery of BU operating plan.
• Consistent in their decision making and owns the consequences thereof due to strong business understanding and commercial knowledge.
• Demonstrates attention to detail and reacts to commercial and customer issues within their operation.
• Manages people to execute BU operating plan.
• Manages delivery in a positive and consistent way
• Plan and Organise
• Think and act commercially (Trade Optimisation)
• “Conceptualise” or “generate ideas”
• Formulate selling solution and implement shorter-term tactical plans that are cost-effective, efficient and realistic
• Able to analyse and interpret data
• Communicate and influence at various (using networks and relationships)
• Retail Space and Display Management
• Able to provide input into Range and Catalogue Management
• Able to provide input into Supply Chain Management
• Able to provide input into Value chain optimization
• Knowledge of Foods and the buying groups
• Good communication and business writing skills
• Good understanding of the Foods retail business and Brand DNA