About the position
The Merchant at VENUS is a pivotal role responsible for developing a comprehensive product assortment strategy that aligns with the brand's objectives and exceeds customer expectations. This position is crucial in delivering on sales and profit targets while ensuring that the product offerings resonate with the target market. The Merchant will work closely with various cross-functional teams, including Design, Product Development/Sourcing, Planning, Site Merchandising, and Marketing, to achieve departmental and financial goals for the division and the company as a whole. In this role, the Merchant will create and execute a strategic direction for their category, focusing on building a robust assortment architecture that supports the overall company strategies and growth plans. This involves performing competitive analyses to identify market trends and opportunities, interpreting this data to enhance VENUS's appeal in the marketplace. The Merchant will also build and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional partners to ensure a cohesive approach to product development and marketing. The Merchant will partner with Design and Product Development/Sourcing on a seasonal basis to deliver assortments that meet category strategies and margin targets. They will collaborate with Planning to determine seasonal buys and manage inventory flow effectively. A deep understanding of the target customer is essential to ensure that the product assortment delivers an exceptional customer experience. The Merchant will attend fittings and provide recommendations to align with merchandising needs, analyze business performance regularly, and identify opportunities and risks, formulating action plans accordingly. Additionally, they will work with Marketing and Site Merchandising to create compelling visual presentations for the season, ensuring that key initiatives are well-supported. This role also includes leading, mentoring, and developing direct reports, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
Responsibilities
- Create and execute strategic direction for category focusing on building strong assortment architecture that supports total company strategies and growth plan.
- Perform competitive analysis to identify trends and opportunities and interpret this information to maximize Venus' appeal to the marketplace.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with cross-functional partners, including Design, PD/Sourcing, Planning, Site Merchandising & Marketing.
- Partner with Design and PD/Sourcing on a seasonal basis to deliver assortment that supports category strategy & meets margin targets.
- Partner with Planning to determine seasonal buys and manage the flow of inventory.
- Possess in-depth knowledge of target customer to ensure product & assortment deliver exceptional customer experience.
- Attend fittings and provide recommendations to align with merchandising needs.
- Analyze business on a regular basis, identifying opportunities & risks to pursue and formulating action plans to address.
- Partner with Marketing & Site Merchandising to build visual presentation for the season, ensuring key initiatives are supported.
- Lead, mentor, and develop direct reports.
Requirements
- Excellent organizational and planning skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills; excellent written and verbal communication.
- Ability to multi-task, delegate duties, and lead cross-functional teams.
- Ability to read and interpret reports concerning margins, mark-up, sales data, and other merchant-based data, drawing valid conclusions.
- Have an eye for fashion and interpret trend information as it pertains to the Venus Brand.
- Computer literacy and the ability to utilize business programs as needed to conduct business, including but not limited to PowerPoint, Excel, Digi, Qlik, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.
- Bachelor's Degree preferred.
- 6+ years of experience in merchandising for vertical retailers, apparel experience preferred.
- Management experience preferred.
