A leading lifestyle fashion retailer in Hong Kong, with a strong presence across over 20 locations, is seeking an experienced Merchandising Manager to oversee their Hong Kong and Macau operations. This role is critical in driving the company's buying strategies and financial success.
Key Responsibilities:
Merchandising Strategy and Planning
- Develop and execute annual and seasonal merchandising strategies and budget plans to meet sales, profitability, and inventory objectives for the Hong Kong and Macau markets.
- Oversee Open-to-Buy (OTB) planning, budgeting, forecasting, and assortment planning to align merchandise mix with market demands.
- Create inventory plans based on sales projections for key events, including promotions and markdowns.
- Monitor in-season product launch plans, product life cycles, sell-through rates, and delivery status.
Allocation and Inventory Management
- Develop and communicate allocation strategies based on location and size selling performance.
- Strategize merchandise allocation across various channels and locations based on category analysis and buying plans.
- Manage stock levels and implement inventory control measures, including pricing strategies, markdowns, and margin optimization.
- Liaise with logistics and warehouse teams for timely deliveries and arrangements for daily operations and ad-hoc events.
Collaboration and Communication
- Work closely with sales teams to provide in-depth analysis of business performance by region.
- Collaborate with retail operations, marketing, and visual merchandising teams to align on sales trends and marketing initiatives.
- Participate in Go-To-Market presentations and share retail assortment plans.
Market Analysis and Trend Forecasting
- Analyze sales data, market trends, and customer feedback to identify opportunities and challenges.
- Stay updated on market trends to inform buying decisions and merchandise strategies.
- Drive volume, gross margin, and profitability through strategic merchandise buying and promotional activities.
Leadership and Reporting
- Lead and manage the merchandising team, providing guidance and support.
- Analyze performance data against financial targets to assess the effectiveness of merchandising decisions and set future targets.
- Conduct regular site visits and participate in international trade shows as needed.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Fashion, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in retail merchandising, with a good working knowledge of retail performance metrics and at least 3 years in a leadership role.
- In-depth understanding of the fashion retail landscape and market dynamics in Hong Kong and Macau.
- Sharp sense of current fashion trends in apparel, footwear, bags, and accessories.
- Proficiency in advanced Excel skills and familiarity with merchandising software.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail.
- Proven capability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- A self-starter who is driven and has proven leadership capabilities.
- Fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
- Willingness to travel as needed.
- Candidates with less experience may be considered for the position of Assistant Merchandising Manager.
All personal information will be used only for recruitment purposes.