Area Visual Merchandiser

Job description / Role

Position Objective

The Area Visual Merchandiser (VM) is responsible for leading the visual merchandising strategy across a large area, region, or country of stores, ensuring that the visual presentation aligns with the brand identity and enhances the overall shopping experience. The role focuses on guiding and mentoring Senior VMs and VMs, ensuring consistent execution of brand strategy, conducting market research, and staying up-to-date on industry trends to drive visual innovation. The Area VM is also responsible for collaborating cross-functionally to optimize visual merchandising for commercial impact.

Key Responsibility

Brand Image & Visual Merchandising Execution

• Lead and guide Senior Visual Merchandisers and Visual Merchandisers in multiple stores, ensuring the execution of high-quality visual merchandising aligned with the brand's image and commercial goals.
• Strategize and oversee the design, planning, and execution of window displays, in-store layouts, and promotional setups, ensuring consistent visual standards across all locations.
• Conduct regular team meetings to communicate objectives, share market insights, provide creative direction, and address challenges.
• Ensure visual consistency across stores by regularly reviewing visual displays, layouts, and product placement.
• Develop and adjust floor plans and product zoning based on sales trends, customer behavior, and market insights to enhance customer engagement and sales.
• Monitor the performance of visual strategies in collaboration with in-store teams, adjusting displays as necessary to maximize commercial opportunities.

Collaboration & Strategic Alignment

• Collaborate closely with the operations, buying, and brand management teams to align visual merchandising strategies with inventory levels, promotional activities, and sales targets.
• Support marketing initiatives by ensuring that visual merchandising aligns with campaigns, seasonal launches, and brand communication efforts.
• Provide strategic insights through ongoing market research, competitor analysis, and customer lifestyle studies to inform visual strategies.
• Lead pre-opening activities for new stores, ensuring brand standards are maintained and visual displays are optimized for launch.

Market Research and Innovation

• Conduct market research and trend analysis to identify new opportunities for visual merchandising that align with the brand's identity and commercial goals.
• Benchmark against competitors and industry trends to drive innovation in store displays and layouts.
• Recommend adjustments to visual strategy based on consumer insights, shopping behaviors, and market shifts.

Budgeting & Reporting

• Manage and track the visual merchandising budget for your area, ensuring cost-effective execution while maintaining high standards.
• Provide regular reports on the effectiveness of visual merchandising activities and recommend areas for improvement.

Training & Development

• Mentor and develop Senior Visual Merchandisers and Visual Merchandisers, providing ongoing training and feedback on display techniques, brand guidelines, and market trends.
• Establish best practices for visual merchandising execution, ensuring that junior team members adhere to high standards and that knowledge sharing is encouraged across stores.

Other Responsibilities

• Visit stores regularly to assess visual merchandising performance, provide guidance, and ensure that all stores maintain brand standards.
• Gather and analyze feedback from store teams, customers, and sales performance data to continuously improve visual merchandising strategies.

Desired Experience

The ideal candidate should have 7-10 years of experience in visual merchandising, with at least 3 years in a leadership role overseeing large areas or regions. Strong skills in managing multiple stores, mentoring visual merchandising teams, and aligning visual strategies with commercial objectives are crucial. Experience in market research and the ability to innovate visual solutions based on trends and customer insights are essential.

About the Company

The Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle brand conglomerate residing on the crossroads of a modern economy - Dubai, UAE. The mercurial growth in the last 17 years has been by acquiring a host of world class fashion labels from around the world - Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Aldo & Tim Hortons just to name a few.

Today the group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its over 1530 stores, 75 International brands and employing 12,000 multi cultural staff in over 4 continents. Apparel believes in turning dreams in to reality and we give everyone - our customers, our stakeholders, our employees - an equal opportunity to do so.

Apparel group has carved its strong presence not only in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia but opened thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Poland, Singapore, Jordan, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary, Pakistan, Egypt and Philippines.