Merchandiser

Job description

Born in 1971, the roots of Mulberry are in Somerset, England. For more than fifty years, Mulberry has been a British lifestyle brand, internationally acclaimed for quality and design capturing the Mulberry Spirit. Sustainability has been part of the Mulberry ethos since the brand's inception, in recognition of our purpose-driven approach, in 2024 we proudly achieved B Corp Certification. Today, we are a global brand, but our values remain the same; we are committed to improving our impact on people and the planet. To do this our people are honest, dynamic, and community spirited. If these are values you share, we would love you to join our team. The Role: Reporting to the Head of Merchandising (UK & EU), with a dotted line to the Director of Retail (UK & EU), this position will be focused on driving full-price growth within our UK market. This role will also be pivotal in ensuring a seamless customer experience across all full price channels and contributing to an increase in store and online performance and profitability. This is a 12 month contract. Duties and Responsibilities: Buying and Merchandising: - Collaborate with Digital, Retail and central Buying and Merchandising teams to optimise inventory management, pricing strategies, and promotional activities for the UK market. - Carry out quarterly seasonal buying for UK Mulberry stores and concession partners, to meet business plan and goals, aligning to OTB. - Seasonal forecasting of Core products, ensuring repeat orders are placed to achieve sales plan and meet core availability targets. - Support the Head of Merchandising on seasonal and yearly budgeting and reforecasting process, including the MD strategy, sales targets and margins for UK stores. - With the support of the Assistant Merchandiser, responsible for UK Full Price stock management including allocation, consolidation, raising orders, IDS review across New, Seasonal and Core FP products. - Oversee product launches for the UK FP market aligned to the central B&M Product launches guidelines and digital trading calendar. Performance Monitoring and Trade: - Weekly review of performance and KPI’s, managing the team to react and drive trade. - Set and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success, sell through reports, weeks cover, inventory turnover, stock to sales ratio for your market. - Present merchandising updates in weekly trade meetings with retail and digital teams, sharing insightful analysis and clear actions. - Provide regular reports and updates to the wider business, including senior management, on performance and progress. - Challenge and improve processes and reporting. Omnichannel Distribution: - Drive the integration of online and offline channels to create a cohesive, seamless customer experience. - Oversee the UK Full-Price Merchandising team to ensure optimal product placement and presentation across all channels, ensuring the right balance between Mulberry owned and third-party concessions. - Optimise product categories across network, ensuring stock availability targets are met. - Complete regular store visits and build strong relationships with area managers and store managers to improve area’s performance. - Partner closely with Retail and central B&M teams on any new store openings, responsible for the product assortment and opening allocation. Market Analysis: - Monitor sales performance through both quantitative analyses and qualitative feedback. - Undertake detailed analyses to understand business opportunities and risks. - Conduct regular market research and analysis to identify trends, opportunities, and competitive landscape including pricing feedback. - Utilise data-driven insights to inform buying decisions and merchandising strategies for your market. Collaboration: - Build and maintain strong relationships with concession partners through regular trade calls and seasonal buy appointments. - Collaborate with key internal stakeholders: Digital Trading and Marketing, Retail, B&M, VM, Finance and Logistics. Team: - Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing UK merchandising team. - Have a collaborative and open working style, empowering your team - Lead the team to deliver quality, timeliness, and accuracy of all merchandising packs - Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment that encourages continuous improvement. Culture: - Embrace and demonstrate the Mulberry values and behaviours: honesty, dynamism, and a community-oriented spirit. - Support Mulberry to deliver an inclusive culture, through behaving in a way that is open-minded and respectful towards others, and understanding that your views, opinions, and experiences may not always be shared by your colleagues. - Act as an ambassador for Mulberry and communicate positively about the brand. Sustainability: - As a certified B Corp, we are committed to using business as a force for good. You’ll be encouraged to incorporate environmentally and socially responsible practices into your work, supporting our *Made to Last* strategy across Climate, Circularity, and Community. - Help foster a culture where diversity is celebrated and every individual feels valued, respected, and included. Champion equity, empathy, and understanding in all interactions - internally and externally. Skills and Experience Required: - Previous Buying and Merchandising experience at Merchandiser level. - Extensive knowledge of the UK Retail and Digital landscape. - Ability to work autonomously with an entrepreneurial spirit and creative flair. - A proven track record of driving commercial performance and profitability. - Excellent communication and presentation skills. - Analytical with an ability to digest and distil data into actionable insights. - Personable and engaging with an ability to develop high functioning relationships with key stakeholders. - Knowledge of Prima and Business Objects desirable but not essential.