Role: Merchandiser (Maternity Cover)
Reporting to: Head of Merchandising
Location: London
Overview
The Merchandiser collaborates closely with the Head of Merchandising to define and implement product and assortment strategies across all collections, balancing design vision with commercial objectives. This role supports the Design, Product Development, DTC, and Sales teams to help define product strategies and works on four collections annually, managing two development calendars and multiple design teams.
Key Responsibilities
Product/Collection Merchandising
- Define and execute product strategy and range plans to align with brand DNA and market needs.
- Prepare and deliver seasonal collection briefs to design, fabric, and development teams at the start of each season.
- Oversee collection development, ensuring that guidelines (e.g., fabric pricing and target costs) are adhered to.
- Monitor collection size, pricing, and ensure that seasonal price structures align with margin targets.
- Actively participate in FTS (Fabric to Sketch) meetings, especially for the VVB line, and maintain FTS tools for visibility across teams.
- Participate in PP fits and production handovers, coordinating all comments and information relevant to seasonal capsules.
Training/Showroom
- Develop training packs for sales, DTC, press, and marketing teams, ensuring thorough information transfer from fabric, design, and development teams.
- Manage showroom activities, including daily collection performance updates, set-up and installation, and sales catalog accuracy.
- Communicate any collection, production, or pricing changes to the sales team and lead cancellation meetings in coordination with production and sales.
Reporting
- Analyze previous seasons’ performance to create visual and quantitative reports.
- Produce ongoing reports on product strategy, pricing, and market positioning.
- Consult with sales and retail teams to track sell-through performance and execute competitive analysis for product positioning.
DTC Collaboration
- Coordinate with the DTC team on exclusive items and seasonal capsules.
- Support retail teams in buying decisions during retail buy reviews, ensuring key pieces are included.
- Manage markdowns, communicate product updates, and handle Geo pricing for sales and retail teams.
- Oversee visual merchandising during key handovers and showroom events.
Essential Skills & Requirements
- Experience: Experience in luxury fashion in a product-focused merchandising role.
- Skills: High proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and numeracy.
- Industry Knowledge: Commercial and fashion acumen, with knowledge of the competitive luxury fashion landscape.
- Other Competencies: Excellent communication, negotiation skills, autonomy, and an ability to suggest calculated risks confidently.
- Personal Traits: Efficient, passionate about products, and able to maintain accuracy under pressure.
This role is critical in ensuring that the collections are well-aligned with the market needs, brand identity, and seasonal targets, ultimately driving sales and enhancing the brand’s market position.
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