Merchandiser - Accessories and Shoes

We are recruiting for a Merchandiser to join our Accessories and Shoes team on a Fixed Term contract.

About the Role 

Supporting a team of Assistant Merchandisers and Merchandise Admin Assistants, you will support the Merchandise Manager to maximise profitable growth. You will do this by making the right product available at the right time and right place through effective planning and analysis. This role looks after our Accessories and Shoes category.

You will be responsible for the planning of sales, stocks, margins and open to buy (OTB) across all channels based on detailed analysis of historical performance and reflective of the strategy agreed with buying colleagues. You will also undertake detailed mid-season performance reviews: identifying key growth factors by channel at both brand and category level; quantifying opportunities based on analysis to inform General Merchandise Manager’s (GMM’s) future season strategy.

Your duties will also include:

• Proposing top line sales growth by department/channel with GMM. Persuade and influence GMM to increase or decrease departmental plans based on space optimisation, brand or category opportunities.
• Modelling full price sales growth, sell through, intake margins, FX requirements and markdowns to derive top line OTB for seasonal areas. Planning sales, margins, forecast opening and target closing stocks to derive OTB for basic areas.
• Liaising with the Buyer and GMM to agree brand level OTB plans. Plan full price margin by brand, reviewing top line assumption as necessary.
• Regular maintenance of WSSI forecast in PDX for all channels; present forecast for approval at monthly sign off meeting highlighting key trading opportunities, stock and markdown risks and other considerations.
• Supporting the department forecast through analysis of performance and forecasting at a lower level e.g. brand or category. Highlight opportunities and risks at the lower level to give detailed POA for buying colleagues. Ensure POA is prioritised and followed through.
• Monitoring  top line and brand level OTB spend in season against agreed plans. Ensure planned intake margins are achieved. Ensure relevant procedures are followed for overspends.
• Analysing and proposing items for Fashion Sale Preview (FSP) and Sale exclusion/inclusion and obtain agreement from buying team for final list. Provide FSP exclusion list in time for promotion set up.

About You 

You will hail from a Merchandising background, either at Merchandiser or Assistant Merchandiser level. You will be well versed in all things Accessories and Shoes, within a multi brand business. The ideal candidate will have excellent leadership capabilities, able to set the appropriate tone for the team whilst inspiring them to deliver to key deadlines. You will use your technical skills and interpersonal relationships to make a positive impact in the day to day running and profitability of the division. You will also be able to demonstrate leadership capabilities during a period of change.

Our future Merchandiser will be the escalation point for the team, for this reason we are looking for someone who is tenacious, solution focused and technically apt. You will have strong commercial acumen, able to communicate at all levels internally and externally – using this skills to make key decisions to drive the category forward.

The ideal candidate will also:

• Be detailed orientated, able to work at pace and adapt to changing priorities.
• Have a collaborative leadership style, able to join the dots across the business
• Be commercially astute, strategically minded and able to understand key areas for opportunity.
• Consistently strive for exceptional results.
• Be focused on driving profitability through effective planning and analysis.

About Us

Harrods is one of the world’s leading luxury department stores and we’re becoming a destination for top designers, and the most sought-after brands from around the globe. Our combined mission is to make visiting our iconic Knightsbridge store one of the world’s most inspiring shopping experiences.

Our promise to you

Help us make the impossible possible for our customers and we’ll do something remarkable for you. As well as offering a friendly environment to inspire your best work, we provide abundant opportunities and support to build an exceptional career across the varied specialisms of our business. 

In return you’ll receive an excellent benefits package, including a company pension, flexible working, 25 days’ holiday, and your birthday off, up to 33% in-store discount (including across our food hall and restaurants) and a season ticket loan.

Uniquely You

At Harrods we believe the personality and authenticity of our people sets us apart.  We celebrate and invite applications from all cultures, backgrounds, tastes, and experiences and are proud of our culture where people from all walks of life can grow and thrive. What makes you unique makes us exceptional.

If you want to know more about our people and our culture, search #TogetherHarrods on LinkedIn, Facebook or follow us on Instagram @togetherharrods