Senior Merchandiser Womenswear Planning
About the company
Established in the 1930s, Al-Futtaim is one of the most diversified and progressive privately held regional businesses, headquartered in Dubai. Operating across more than 20 countries, the Group spans automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and health. With more than 40,000 employees, Al-Futtaim represents over 200 of the world’s most recognised brands, including Toyota, Lexus, IKEA, ACE and Marks & Spencer. Driven by its purpose to enrich lives and elevate communities, Al-Futtaim focuses on digital innovation, AI, sustainable growth and strategic partnerships, creating long-term value for customers, communities and partners while building a responsible legacy for future generations.
Your tasks
Overview of the role The senior merchandiser is responsible for the business unit (BU) strategy to drive sales and cash margin and is accountable for achieving the key business KPIs of sales, cash margin, markdown cost and closing stock. He or she controls space and open-to-buy (OTB) planning plus product selection. The senior merchandiser is responsible for team management and team development ensuring high energy and engagement whilst building and maintaining effective cross-functional relationships, including those with the host brand.
Business plan and delivery of key KPIs
- Formulate annual business plan
- Constantly search for business opportunities to increase sales and cash margin
- Detailed knowledge of BU, markets operated in and key competitors
- Manage BU weekly sales, stock and inventory (WSSI)
Sales and OTB planning
- Plan appropriate sales and cash margin by department and range
- Plan appropriate sales and cash margin by store
- Plan appropriate space for each department and range in each store
- Plan appropriate OTB and options by department and range
- Cut OTB: core versus fashion flow versus fashion
- Plan appropriate e-commerce buy
Range detail planning
- Management of core template to drive core availability
- Size cut strategy by department and market
- Appropriate good, better, best offer
- Sufficient volume on key opportunities
Product selection
- Detailed preparation for UK buying fairs
- Clear initial buy order (IBO) strategy
- Sign off every catalogue
- Opportunity buys to support marketing strategy
- Spend control
- Margin optimization
Trade
- Weekly team meeting and actions
- Weekly store communication (general manager action news)
- Define and manage allocation blueprint
- Define and manage replenishment strategy by type of product and market
- Implement robust promotional calendar
- Implement robust innovations communication
- Ensure opening price points are well executed and messaged in-store
- Effective markdown management – controlling shop-in-shop statements but clearing seasonal lines
Market awareness
- Conduct quarterly competitive shops
- Report on key missed opportunities
- Conduct quarterly SWOT analysis with store champions
- Engage in market visits
Stakeholder engagement
- Build good relationships with senior merchandiser colleagues within Marks & Spencer
- Build good relationships with M&S operations team, visual merchandising team and marketing team
- Build good working relationship with UK teams
Leading people
- Engage team with relevant objectives, inclusion in the “bigger picture” plus continued feedback and development opportunities
- Provide coaching for development and ensure succession within the team working with HR business partner on talent management
- Role model Al-Futtaim Way behaviours and M&S values
Requirements
Required skills to be successful
- A confident leader
- Able to handle complexity
- Excellent planning and organizing skills
- Attention to detail
- Highly numerate
- Product confident
- Good communicator
- Collaborative style
- Optimistic attitude
- Works at pace with an impatience to get things done
- Strong track record of people management
- Cultural awareness
- Women’s wear or Middle East experience preferred
- Graduate or graduate calibre
- Good working knowledge of Excel
- Knowledge of SAP is an additional advantage
What equips you for the role
- Graduate (masters preferred)
- Minimum 8 years’ experience in fashion planning and merchandising
- Good communication skills
- Excellent in Microsoft Excel
How to apply
Before you click “apply”: please read the job description carefully to ensure you can confidently demonstrate why this opportunity is right for you and take the time to put together a well-crafted and personalised CV to further boost your visibility. Our global talent acquisition team members are all assigned to specific businesses to ensure that we make the best matches between talent and opportunities. We not only consider the requisite compatibility of skills and behaviours, but also how candidates align with our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, and excellence.
As part of our candidate experience promise, we also want to make ourselves available to you throughout the application process. We make every effort to review and respond to every application.