Merchandiser (225-824)

The role of a Merchandiser plays a crucial part in the retail industry, where creativity meets strategic thinking to enhance the customer experience and drive sales. As a Merchandiser, you will be responsible for ensuring that the right products are available at the right time, in the right quantities, and presented in the most attractive manner. Your keen sense of market trends and consumer behavior will guide you in selecting products that align with consumer demands and company objectives. You will collaborate with various departments such as buying, marketing, and sales to optimize the presentation and inventory of products, thus maximizing profit and turnover. The role demands a fine balance between aesthetic appeal and commercial acumen, as you will be tasked with planning layouts and themes to improve the shopping experience while ensuring seasonal trends and customer preferences are met.

Responsibilities

• Plan and develop merchandising strategies that balance customer expectations and company objectives effectively.
• Collaborate with buyers, suppliers, distributors, and analysts to negotiate prices, quantities, and time-scales.
• Work closely with visual display staff and department heads to decide how goods should be displayed to maximize customer interest and sales.
• Analyze sales figures, customer reactions and market trends to anticipate product needs and plan merchandise assortment.
• Monitor stock movement, consider markdowns, promotions, price changes, clear outs etc.
• Forecast profits and sales, and optimize product ranges based on previous sales figures and market trends.
• Implement stockroom duties such as receiving, unpacking, and issuing inventory to meet the needs of product displays.
• Generate weekly and monthly sales reports to track the results of merchandising plans and initiatives.
• Maintain awareness of competitors’ performance and implement strategies to increase market share and profitability.
• Coordinate and communicate with the marketing department to develop campaigns that highlight key product opportunities.
• Organize meetings and presentations for retailers to showcase product lines and new merchandising strategies.
• Train store staff on merchandising standards to improve the overall presentation and customer service experience.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or related field required.
• Proven experience in merchandising or retail management for a minimum of two years.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate consumer insights into actionable merchandising strategies.
• Excellent organizational and multi-tasking abilities to manage multiple merchandising projects.
• Proficiency in merchandising software and tools such as SAP, Oracle Retail, or equivalent.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills to manage vendor relations and negotiate favorable terms.
• Ability to stay current with industry trends and leverage them in strategic planning for merchandising.