Branch Merchandise Manager

Role Purpose  The Branch Merchandising Manager owns the branch‑level commercial view and allocation execution of the business across full‑price and outlet stores. The role translates product strategy and central plans into effective store execution, consolidates structured store and market insight, and shares findings with Product and Central teams. It also evolves Branch Merchandising ways of working, ensuring strong performance today while supporting a longer‑term transition in allocation decision‑making responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities  Branch, Outlet & Market Insight Leadership   Own the branch‑ and outlet‑level view of commercial trading performance across the store estate
Develop and maintain store and outlet grading and profiling frameworks (e.g. space, sales volume, demographic, climate, productivity)
Identify structural opportunities and performance gaps by store group, outlet format or market
Translate trading performance and market insight into clear, actionable recommendations for Product and Central teams
Collaboration with Retail Leadership & Retail Analytics   Partner closely with Heads of Retail and Managing Directors to understand store‑level realities, customer feedback and local market dynamics
Establish structured forums and rhythms for collecting qualitative insight from the retail field
Align with Retail Analyst on data sources, definitions and assumptions to avoid duplication and clearly differentiate between operational performance and commercial trade optimisation
Consolidate qualitative feedback and quantitative analysis into commercially relevant insight for merchandising decision‑making
Channel Trading & Performance Optimisation   Lead trading analysis for full‑price stores and outlets, identifying risks and opportunities throughout the season
Represent the voice of physical retail in weekly trading and planning forums
Differentiate between short‑term trading volatility and underlying structural performance issues
Drive improvements in sell‑through, stock productivity and markdown efficiency
Allocation Ownership & Execution   Own store allocation execution and governance across the branch and outlet estate
Ensure allocations align with product intent, category priorities, store profiles, capacity and space, commercial performance and demand signals
Lead in‑season reallocation and flow decisions to optimise store performance
Partner closely with Product Merchandising to reflect category strategy and learning in allocation decisions
Maintain performance continuity and discipline as allocation ownership and capabilities evolve over time
Team Leadership & Capability Building   Line‑manage and develop the Branch Merchandiser(s) and Junior Merchandiser(s)
Build strong analytical and commercial capability across the team
Evolve ways of working from allocation‑heavy execution to insight‑led channel merchandising
Embed discipline in assessing and communicating store performance, customer feedback and market insight
Establish clear priorities, trading rhythms and development pathways
Reporting, Process & Ways of Working   Own branch and outlet reporting focused on trade performance, allocation effectiveness and stock productivity
Align closely with Retail reporting to maintain a single version of the truth, with clear ownership boundaries
Drive continuous improvement in branch merchandising tools, insight quality and decision frameworks
Key Success Measures   Improved store and outlet sell‑through and stock productivity
Effective allocation driving top‑line performance and availability
High‑quality store and market insight influencing Product and Central decisions
Reduced late‑season markdown dependency through earlier intervention
Smooth transition of Branch Merchandising capability as roles and responsibilities evolve
Experience & Capability   Proven experience/exposure in Branch / Channel Merchandising, including hands‑on allocation responsibility
Strong understanding of store operations, capacity and trading dynamics across full‑price and outlet environments
Ability to synthesise quantitative data and qualitative retail feedback into clear commercial action
Experience leading and developing merchandising teams
Confident partnering with Retail leadership and influencing cross‑functional stakeholders
Structured, resilient, pragmatic and commercially astute
About the Role  The Branch Merchandising Manager plays a critical role in maximising store‑based commercial performance across the full physical estate, including full‑price and outlet stores. Leading branch‑level insight, trading and allocation, the role ensures store realities, customer behaviour and market feedback are clearly represented in merchandising decisions while supporting the evolution of the Branch function towards a more insight‑led channel model.

#J-18808-Ljbffr