Manager Retail Buying Performance Sportswear & Training

Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organisation:

Execute effective and accurate products investment to achieve the assigned brand or channel financial target (NS, profitability, ST% and inventory)

• Develop category strategy and execute quarterly buying accordingly 
• Right product, right time, right place (trend research, market survey, store assortment, size optimization)
• Play a key role to share product information and knowledge within retail teams (in-season management, store operations and store managers)

Key Responsibilities:

Pre-Season Merchandise Planning

• Manage the Open-To-Buy by category according to buying strategy, financial target, and historical analysis
• Conduct historical analysis and prepare pre-season buying guideline
• Work closely with BU to understand marketing concept (reason to buy) and product knowledge on seasonal or quarterly basis
• Build assortment plans by store format and clusters based on market RA, local needs & calendar
• Combines/validates category assortment plans from BUs, and finalizes into a holistic, full store format assortment plan (width)
• Output all assortment plans for all store formats factoring regionalization needs.
• Integrate VM, OCM upfront into assortment building process and support VM plan
• Depth planning: Lead development of the right assortment by channel or store format and determine appropriate order depth
• Plan and execute Retail forecast as considering demand and inventory 
• Follow GTM process and quarterly trade meeting for entire Retail channels
• Gather sales trends, market insight or requirements to provide them to BU & the relevant teams

Process and In-Season merchandising management

• Manage handover process to In-season team for trading (initial dispatch to replenishment)
• Analyse in season performance tracking reports
• Perform analysis to develop mark down strategy and support mark-down & clearance process
• Track repeat or find opportunity based on read & react

Post-Season Review

• Prepare and conduct analysis and documentation for post-season review
• Perform seasonal deep dive analysis to develop action steps for next season

People management

• Manage, coach and support team members

Key Relationships:

• All Retail functions
• All BU functions
• Demand planning
• Supply Chain (Purchasing / Order Fullfillment & DC)
• P&I

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Team managing skills
• Advanced skills in MS Office
• Fluent in English
• Advanced understanding of Retail Management systems
• Strong analytical skills
• Structured, organised and process orientated
• Attention to detail as error in analysis will have crucial impact to business
• Ability to work effectively within a team environment and under pressure
• Strong sense of Sports & fashion trends

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree and/or commercial training in the area of Finance, Accounting, Economics, Marketing or Sales are preferred.
• Merchandising experience: 5-6 years
• Management Experience preferred