RESPONSIBILITIES:
? Execute seasonal strategies for category/class that meet or exceed the Division and Brand’s financial goals. Ensure the financial success of division and market by meeting or exceeding sales, GM, ST, and productivity goals.
? Connected and accountable to the Greater China Gap business and relentlessly focused on delivering what the customer needs for their respective divisions and collections.
? Research compelling product line and market business and recommend assortment plans based on market research for both online and offline channels.
? Analyze data on customer demographics, preferences, needs and buying habits to identify factors affecting product demand. Follow trends in trade literature. Track sales trends and analyze collected data.
? Understand product trends, historical data and departmental input at category/class level to manage in-season opportunities or risks.
? Research market conditions in local, regional or national areas and gather information to determine potential seasonal product strategies.
? Understand competitive environment from pricing to product and promotions; proactively see market knowledge through exposure to competitive retail outlets.
? Build assortment architecture as it relates to the assortment and current business trends. Create collational Conceptual Assortment Plan. Plan Breadth and Depths by collection, category and channel.
? Develop key concepts, items, and product promotional strategies that are commercially viable and provide exciting store experiences. Define and articulate product requests to fulfill customers needs and meeting financial targets.
? Review global product pool and adopt assortment that are relevant to our customers.
? Work closely with local design team across line planning, 3 round of line review every season. Present assortment and strategies to leadership and cross-functional teams.
? Deliver fully integrated investments and buy at style / cc level tied to Conceptual Assortment Plan.
? Develop and maintain effective working relationships with members of cross-functional teams (Design, IM, Production, Marketing and Channels etc.).
? Provide product training. Assist with field visual teams, to create and recommend a compelling product experience in stores, to include inspirational merchandise presentation and simple and intuitive promo representation. Follow up with the feedback provided by field.
? Partner with the site merchandising to ensure an exciting customer online experience across different platforms as it relates to new flow and promotional periods.
? Communicate financial and product performance results, forecasts, and action plans to manager and cross-functional team on a weekly basis.
? Partner with Marketing to IM to build pre-season Commercial Calendar (i.e. product as it relates to marketing messages) and contribute to in-season commercial process.
? Participate in mid-sight/hindsight to ensure that the China markets learnings are incorporated and communicated to the pre-season team.
? Influence others to achieve results.
? Collaborate with peers to ensure consistency of information, share best-practices and develop systems knowledge.
? Develop and coach merchandisers and assistant merchandisers.
QUALIFICATIONS:
1) Required knowledge, skills & abilities:
? Strong analytical skills.
? Strong business acumen and fashion sense.
? Possess a working knowledge of financial measurements.
? Demonstrate a point of view about product assortment and business opportunities.
? Maintain a cooperative team environment that promotes high performance standards and attainment of goals.
? Demonstrate strong listening, verbal, written and presentation skills.
? Customer oriented.
2) Minimum Education Level
? Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent.
3) Experience Required
? 6-8 years experience as fashion retail merchandising and buying or equivalent.
? Implementation of shorter-term tactical plans that are cost-effective, efficient and realistic in order to drive profitability for the business
? Articulating and providing input to the product strategy
? AUC, AUR, Gross Margin, Category Plan, Comp, ST, MUP
? Experience in managing a team
? Researching product/assortment and making appropriate suggestions to improve product strategy