Merchandise Manager, Sheet Street - Mr Price Group

Purpose

Lead and enable a buying team to plan, source and execute an appealing product assortment (style, quantity and quality) , of distinctive value, at the best price, aligned to the Company's strategic objectives in order to maximise sales and net profit. Effectively manage product life cycle in order to ensure that the right product is available in stores at the right time.

Key Responsibilities

• Analysis:

• Lead, enable and oversee the analysis of customer purchasing trends in the current season as well as in the previous season, in order to maximize sales in the current season and to apply learnings of previous seasons into the next seasonal strategya

Trend & Competitor Research:

• Lead, enable and oversee trend and competitor analysis both locally and internationally in order to monitor market changes, competitor pricing, products and trends, to ensure that we delight our customers with wanted on trend product at the right price

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Post Mortem & Seasonal Strategy:

• Set and drive future room product calls and vision based on a thorough understanding of historical performance and future fabrication / trend strategy within the bigger picture of the company strategy.
• Oversee as a team, the Compshop process and gather pertinent PM insights from other functional areas including Resource, Trend and support departments.
• Conduct an in-depth and relevant brand product performance analysis (including Quality and Supplier performance – if applicable) and compile a post mortem document and summary outlining key learnings, business implications and strategic insights.
• Present the Post Mortem to business leadership identifying critical gaps and opportunities for room growth.
• Formulate a sub category strategy that forms the basis of the seasonal assortment framework, ensuring item dominance and clarity of offer for our customer, incorporating trend and post mortem learns for the foundation of this strategy.
• Formulate a seasonal Supplier strategy with your team, inclusive of the resource department that is well considered, risk balanced, allowing for an agile, highly reactive strategy whereby the golden rule forms the basic of the supplier partnership.
• Identify key tests and new fabric and develop samples for Strategy and establish costing with Resource including all FOB cost factors.
• Compile a strategic room summary ensuring alignment and input from the Trend team, Visual Merchandise team and the Resource team.
• Present to Business leadership providing a clear, detailed rationale which reference market conditions, Product and KPI’s.

Assortment & Review:

• Coordinate and manage assortment buying work based on review timelines and key calendar dates and turnaround timelines.
• As a team oversee and support building the assortment plan ensuring that all assortments reflect the right trend interpretation and quality standards per product and ‘talk to key’ strategic objectives and trade performance history.
• Ensure effective execution of the resource strategy to build on partnership and supplier relationships, aligned to the company values.
• Compile and present the Review including key drivers and ranges and communicate any shifts in product and change from initial strategic direction.
• Prepare for the Review Presentation and present to Executives and Business leadership demonstrating clear alignment with the seasonal strategy and the in-store delivery critical path.
• Lead, enable and oversee the booking & execution of the approved product assortment, as presented at Review, in line with relevant critical path.

Current Trade:

• Provide guidance, support and oversight to buyers with regards to their weekly management of all current trade buying activities and action plans including critical marketing deadlines and the weekly performance of items, sub categories and categories.
• As a team communicate a current trade report for the senior executives, as well as strategic overviews of the previous month’s trade required for board reports.
• Analyse performance on a monthly basis; monitoring growth targets against strategic intent and initiate proactive interventions as needed.
• Assess sales and order impacts and provide appropriate guidance regarding action plans.
• Facilitate competitive shops and store visits and ensure that action plans incorporate appropriate trading responses.

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Leadership & Process Management:

• Set goals and direction for the team in line with key room imperatives as well as company strategy.
• Ensure a focus on future room evolution, innovation and vision as well as a continuously optimizing current trade performance.
• Facilitate role clarity within the team and ensure clear accountability at a task contribution level as well as ‘ownership’ of key responsibility areas.
• Provide guidance and performance feedback at both an individual and team level - optimizing learning and development for all team members.
• Ensure accountability through effective delegation with appropriate support and oversight dependent on levels of competence and experience in the team.
• Review and streamline processes through innovation where necessary to ensure effective time management, proactive planning and team member utilization in collaboration with peers.
• Create a team culture that is disciplined in its thinking; responsive to trade; collaborative across all areas of the business and passionate about fashion retail in keeping with our company values.

Requirements

• Education: Bcom Degree/ textile degree or similar
• Experience: Manufacturing experience advantageous
  5 years + Retail buying experience / Retail Experience
• Specific knowledge: Knowledge of Quality Standards, Fabrications and Constructions, Mathematic skills, Negotiation skills, Presentation Skills, Computer Literacy
• Business understanding Commercial acumen.