Merchandiser

Position Overview

We are seeking a Merchandiser to join our team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a full-time basis. This role involves comprehensive responsibility for sales planning, inventory control, margin management, and assortment strategies to enhance retail performance and profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop season and annual plans for sales, gross margin, stock, and intake margin segmented by brand, category, and individual stores.
• Distribute these plans into monthly and weekly targets in collaboration with brand management and finance.
• Set product markup and intake-margin objectives for each purchase, such as a 3.22 markup and 70% intake gross margin.
• Manage the open-to-buy budget rigorously to keep purchases aligned with strategic plans and prevent overstock or understock situations.
• Monitor committed purchase orders against budgets and proactively highlight potential budget gaps.
• Design product assortments detailing options and quantities by category, price range, and size, aligning with consumer demand and store characteristics.
• Partner with buyers to select ranges informed by historical sales data and category selling performance.
• Optimize stock allocation to new and existing stores, supporting replenishment strategies for best-selling products.
• Coordinate transfers between stores to balance stock levels and enhance sell-through while avoiding stockouts or excess inventory.
• Track and manage key stock metrics including stock cover, supply duration, turnover rates, and aged inventory levels.
• Ensure inventory is maintained per plan, especially ahead of peak periods like Ramadan, Eid, back to school, White Friday, and national holidays.
• Plan and execute markdown strategies to clear aged stock while safeguarding profit margins.
• Review promotional campaigns post-implementation to assess margin impact and prevent overlapping offers.
• Generate detailed weekly and monthly performance reports on sales, margins, and stock status comparing against targets and previous years, broken down by store and category.
• Analyze key performance indicators such as like-for-like growth, average basket size, units per transaction, conversion rates, sell-through ratios, and GMROI, explaining discrepancies and advising corrective steps.
• Uphold accurate retail financial calculations including FOB costs, landing expenses, markup, uplift, and intake margin.
• Assist in supplier pricing negotiations through margin analysis and link merchandise decisions to overall store EBITDA and net profitability.
• Continuously update sales and stock forecasts during seasons based on current trading data.
• Plan inventory and sales goals for new store openings during brand expansion phases.

Routine Tasks

• Organize product assortment, allocation, and replenishment by store or category.
• Track daily and weekly sales, monitor stock levels and evaluate sell-through performance.
• Collaborate closely with buying teams, supply chain, and store departments to coordinate deliveries and replenishment actions.
• Implement visual merchandising standards and seasonal layout adjustments.
• Execute markdowns, promotions, and stock transfers as required to optimize inventory flow.
• Examine slow-moving and aged stock, recommending appropriate remedial actions.
• Maintain precise records of product specifications, pricing, and inventory within the relevant systems.
• Provide operational support for new store openings and product launches.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, Retail Management, or related disciplines.
• Additional diploma or professional credentials in Merchandising, Retail Management, or Fashion are advantageous.
• A minimum of 1 to 3 years of verified experience in retail merchandising or category management, preferably within the fashion or consumer goods sectors.
• Familiarity with ERP or retail management software systems.

Eligibility

Applications are welcomed from candidates of all nationalities.