Assistant Merchandiser Altrincham, England
Job description
Are you an Established Category Management Assistant looking to step into a new role or an Assistant Merchandiser looking to step into a more creative position?
Then this role could be for you.
As we evolve our structure to better serve our customers, we are looking to recruit an experienced Assistant Category Manager to support the selection, management, and promotion of our generic schoolwear and accessories product proposition.
You will be working for a progressive business that is genuinely growing from strength to strength through its strong acquisition plan and one that takes its responsibility to create a better working place for all its employees seriously.
In addition, as the UK's leading supplier of schoolwear, the company has placed enormous focus on 'doing the right thing' by implementing the most ambitious holistic sustainability strategy in the industry.
Let's take a look at your tasks split across 3 areas of the job role.
Trading
- Supporting the category manager with data analysis of sales and stock levels.
- Make recommendations for markdowns and promotional activities.
- Building and maintaining excellent working relationships with key suppliers.
- Managing stock holding and aged stock within agreed KPI’s.
- Conduct regular benchmarking to track and react to competitor activity.
- Responsible for overseeing order management and critical path/ intake management to deliver launch and stock targets.
- Assist with the POS and store layout planning.
- Conduct store visits and feed back to the management team
Strategy
- Create buys in conjunction with the category manager, taking into consideration previous sales history to create size ratio, store and web allocations.
- Assist with sales forecasting.
- Manage terms of contracts with suppliers.
- Create category level product mix using history, SWOT and range planning.
- Develop category and range strategy in conjunction with the category manager.
- Assist in developments of the range plan with the category manager.
- Attend key selection meetings in conjunction with the category manager.
Analysis
- Review and analyse stores for over/under performance, make necessary suggestions for review with Category Manager.
- Responsible for sales and profit margin for specific categories.
- Ensure stock is optimised in stores in line with the space plan, reviewing and making recommendations for IBTs.
- Product data management.
- Excellent numerical skills and highly competent in Microsoft Excel.
- Strong problem solving. You’ll be adept at multi-tasking and responding with good judgement and positivity to challenges presented and/or conflicting ideas and priorities.
- Exceptional planning and organisation skills with the ability to manage conflicting priorities and the ability to work to deadlines.
And now here are the kind of attributes you will need to demonstrate to be successful
- Self-motivated and driven, with an unwavering ‘yes we can’ attitude.
- Solid interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience, working with a range of external suppliers.
- A great eye for identifying new trends and concepts.
- Relevant category management and/or merchandising experience is preferable.
- Product data management.
- Excellent numerical skills and highly competent in Microsoft Excel Advanced.
- Strong problem solving. You’ll be adept at multi-tasking and responding with good judgement and positivity to challenges presented and/or conflicting ideas and priorities.
- Exceptional planning and organisation skills with the ability to manage conflicting priorities and the ability to work to deadlines.
What are my hours and working days?
This is a Hybrid role working 40 hours a week, with a permanent contract working Monday to Friday with no weekend work and hours 9am to 5pm.
The ability to travel using own transport is required to visit sites all around the country and travel to internal meetings, typically on a monthly bases.
When can I start?
Immediately!
What’s our location?
We are located in Altrincham. We have plenty of free parking and good transport links on the days you are required to come into our offices.
Other things you might like to know
- You get your birthday off!
- Unusually for a wholesale/retail business, we close at Christmas.
- You get free parking, and there is plenty of it.
- We close early on a Friday during our winter hours.
