Merchandise Controller

Job description / Role

A Dubai based Fashion and Home Retailer is seeking to recruit a highly experienced Merchandise Controller to join their busy team, The role will be responsible for achieving sales and profit objectives for the portfolios assigned, working with Head of Fashion and Home and their Buying Teams.

- Manage, react and adjust based on current trends to maximise sales and gross margin while ensuring inventory management
- Partner with Head of Fashion and Home to communicate financial merchandising plans and merchandise strategies to support the financial objectives.
- Develop/Supervise, consolidate and communicate a comprehensive pre-season planning strategy that identifies opportunities for the business.
- Work closely with Head of Fashion and Home to establish multi-departmental seasonal plan goals
- Develop promotional and receipt flow strategies designed to attain seasonal goals with maximum profitability.
- Manage the in-season profitability of a department by meeting or exceeding sales, managing inventory turn and maximising gross margin goals
- Partner with Head of Fasion and Home in identifying key business opportunities
- Direct the creation of assortment/buy plans and utilisation of standardized best practices for assortment planning
- Lead team in recommending potential systems and process enhancement relating to planning and open-to-buy
- Participate in the business review for all merchandise categories with planners and allocators
- Reforecast business in-season based on current performance, present revised projections and recommendations to cross functional partners and senior leadership

Open to Buy Monitoring
- Participate in and reviews the OTB for various merchandise categories
- Review inventory productivity, ageing goals and recommend adjustments to business trends
- Participate in the development of and review ageing/existing strategies
- Review markdown projections
- Develop liquidity targets with Head of Fashion and monitor compliance
- Review all pertinent factors relating to profitability

Pricing and Marketing
- Review target markup/markdown analysis and guidelines
- Participate in store visits as feasible
- Review and recommend price change strategies
- Work with Buying and Marketing Teams to develop promotional strategies to maximise profitability
- Analyze promotional effectiveness and make future recommendations

Merchandising
- Monitor and Review strategic plan for various merchandise categories to maximise sales and profitability
- Participate in all aspects of line building process with Head Fashion/Home
- Participate in department projects to improve systems or efficiencies
- Responsible for the selection, development and retention of team members

Requirements

- University Graduate
- 10-15 years experience in Fashion Retail and Merchandise Planning
- Highly analytical and have the ability to analyze high volume of data and present meaningful and business critical information related to Stock Holders, sales patterns, category performance etc

About the Company

Consisting only of Director level personnel, each with over 12 years' experience of working within the Gulf Region, we aim to alleviate all the issues and frustrations traditionally associated with using a Resourcing or external HR service. Each client and candidate is handpicked and dealt with by a Director personally thus ensuring that all parties get the level of service they expect. to: Consisting only of Director level personnel, each with over 12 years' experience of working within the Gulf Region, we aim to alleviate all the issues and frustrations traditionally associated with using a Resourcing or external HR service. Each client and candidate is handpicked and dealt with by a Director personally thus ensuring that all parties get the level of service they expect.