As the Retail Merchandising Manager for Bags & Small Leather Goods, you will lead the development and execution of seasonal merchandising strategies to maximize sales, profitability, and brand impact. You will partner closely with regional teams and cross-functional departments to ensure product assortments are commercially strong, trend-relevant, and aligned with the brand vision.
Job Responsibilities
1. Merchandising Strategy & Planning
- Develop seasonal and evergreen merchandising strategies aligned with overall business objectives.
- Define product mix, price architecture, and SKU targets using market insights and sales performance data.
- Align Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets with global inventory planning and zone requirements.
- Conduct quantitative benchmarking and competitive analysis to support decision-making.
2. Assortment & Product Lifecycle Management
- Build and maintain assortment guidelines across zones and categories.
- Manage carryover lines and monitor cannibalization risks across the portfolio.
- Oversee full product lifecycle management, including markdown planning and evergreen selections.
- Define standby lists and in-season strategies (repeat vs. non-repeat items).
3. Showroom Preparation & Seasonal Buying Launch
- Coordinate showroom openings and agendas with regional teams.
- Prepare key showroom documents, including retail columns, buyers’ guides, and product feedback summaries.
- Coordinate cross-functional deliverables and timelines with relevant departments.
- Prepare Product Strategy Briefs for regional and market buyers.
- Facilitate buying reviews, additions, and cancellations in partnership with Category Managers
4. Performance Analysis & Reporting
- Analyze product performance and share reports and insights with stakeholders.
- Track KPIs across zones and propose adjustments to drive sell-through.
- Review buying strategies by market, including selection, grading, colors, and MOQ considerations
5. Market Intelligence
- Gather feedback from zones to refine collection and merchandising strategies.
- Identify assortment gaps and opportunities for new product introductions.
6. Documentation & Cross-functional Collaboration
- Partner with Marketing, Merchandising Planning and Operations on launches, campaigns, and collection initiatives.
- Support collaborations, gifting programs, and special projects.
7. Ad hoc Tasks
- Support special merchandising projects such as process optimization or automation
Job Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, or a related field.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in retail merchandising or business analysis, ideally within luxury or fashion
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
- Experience with sales and stock analytics tools (e.g., Power BI, Qlik) is preferred.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with key stakeholders.