Merchandiser

Hiring for fashion industry client in the UAE

Position Summary / Job Purpose

The role is primarily responsible for driving product strategy, assortment planning, and in-season merchandising execution to maximize sales, margin, and inventory productivity. The individual will own the end-to-end merchandising lifecycle, ensuring the right product is available at the right place, time, and price, aligned with brand positioning and customer demand.

Key Responsibilities

1. Merchandising Strategy & Assortment Planning (Core Focus)

• Lead the development of seasonal assortment strategies by category, sub-category, and SKU level.
• Curate commercially viable product mixes aligned with customer preferences, regional trends, and brand positioning.
• Work closely with buying and brand teams to ensure depth vs. breadth balance in assortments.
• Drive range planning, ensuring optimal category contribution and product lifecycle management.
• Identify opportunities for new product introduction, assortment expansion, and gap filling.

2. In-Season Merchandising & Trade Management

• Continuously track sell-through, product performance, and category contribution.
• Take proactive actions on slow-moving stock, fast sellers, and replenishment opportunities.
• Recommend and execute markdowns, promotions, and stock movements to optimize sales and margins.
• Ensure strong in-season trading decisions based on real-time data and store feedback.

3. Inventory & Allocation Management

• Ensure optimal inventory levels across stores and channels.
• Drive store-wise and SKU-level allocations based on performance, store grading, and demand patterns.
• Collaborate with supply chain to ensure timely replenishment and stock availability.
• Maintain healthy inventory by managing aging stock, stock turns, and liquidation strategies.

4. Pricing & Promotions

• Define and implement pricing strategies aligned with brand positioning and market competitiveness.
• Partner with marketing to plan and execute promotional calendars and campaigns.
• Analyze promotion effectiveness and margin impact, optimizing future actions.
• Ensure price consistency across stores and channels.

5. Market & Trend Analysis

• Stay updated on fashion trends, customer behavior, and competitor benchmarking.
• Translate insights into actionable merchandising decisions.
• Conduct regular store visits to assess product performance, visual merchandising, and customer preferences.

6. Sales Planning Support (Secondary Responsibility)

• Support planning function with sales forecasting and budgeting inputs.
• Align merchandising strategies with financial targets (sales, margin, stock turns).

7. Reporting & Insights

• Develop and maintain MIS reports on sales, inventory, and product performance.
• Provide actionable insights for faster stock movement and improved product productivity.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, Retail Management, or related field
• MBA or relevant certifications preferred

Experience

• 7–10+ years of experience in merchandising within fashion/lifestyle retail
• Strong exposure to Dubai / GCC retail market is mandatory
• Required Skills & Competencies
• Strong merchandising acumen and product sensibility
• Deep understanding of retail KPIs (sell-through, GM%, stock turns, etc.)
• Excellent analytical and commercial decision-making skills
• Ability to balance creativity with business objectives
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• High attention to detail and execution excellence
• Agile and proactive with a hands-on approach to in-season trading

Application Question(s):

• What's your based location?
• How many years of experience you have in merchandising within fashion/lifestyle retail?

• How long is your notice period?
• What's your current salary (AED/month)
• What's your expected salary? (AED/month)
• What's your Visa status?

Work Location: In person