Manager, Retail Product Development & Merchandising

$65,000 - $65,000/Yr

Robert W Woodruff Arts Center - Atlanta, GA

Full-time

Atlanta, GA

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries

About the position

The Merchandising Manager at the High Museum of Art is responsible for developing and executing strategies to optimize the product assortment and merchandising approach for the museum shop. This role focuses on enhancing visitor engagement and driving sales through market insights, customer behavior analysis, and competitive analysis, ensuring the success of retail operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategies for proprietary merchandise aligned with the museum's permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.
• Collaborate with curatorial and creative services teams to formulate product plans for future exhibitions.
• Establish pricing, positioning, and selling strategies for seasonal, holiday, and event-specific merchandise.
• Conduct market research and analyze customer buying behaviors to define product features and specifications.
• Partner with Rights and Reproductions to create exclusive products such as postcards, prints, and notecards.
• Attend trade shows to explore new product ideas and select items with sales representatives.
• Manage vendor relationships, negotiate terms, and identify potential distributors.
• Develop and manage merchandise budgets, including open-to-buy plans.
• Forecast sales, analyze profits, and create strategies to reduce revenue loss.
• Oversee consignment sales and collaborate on inventory diversification and investment planning.
• Design and oversee the online shop using Shopify, ensuring timely catalog updates and order fulfillment.
• Coordinate with Retail Operations leadership to enhance shop revenues through pricing strategies.
• Assist in planning and executing product launches and marketing campaigns.
• Provide product knowledge training to staff.
• Represent the High Museum at the Museum Store Association and other relevant forums.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of retail experience, preferably in a museum store setting.
• Experience working with vendors, designers, and copyright/licensing regulations.
• Strong understanding of merchandise planning and open-to-buy strategies.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, and POS systems (e.g., NCR Counterpoint).
• Excellent layout, display, and visual merchandising skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain external partnerships.
• Strong writing skills for reports, correspondence, and presentations.
• Effective in engaging with employees, vendors, and the public.
• Competent in computing rates, percentages, and inventory metrics.
• Adept at problem-solving and interpreting complex instructions.