Manager Merchandising

Manager Merchandising Planning

Location:

Gurgaon, India

Role Purpose & Organizational Impact

The Manager Merchandising Planning is responsible for maximizing the profitability of own retail Value stores across Emerging Markets (EM) by driving key merchandising processes, strategic initiatives, and data-driven decision-making. This role ensures that all in-season activities (promotions, markdowns, and replenishment) are aligned to achieve planned sales, margin, and inventory objectives, while enhancing customer experience and operational excellence across all stores.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a dynamic merchandising professional with 6–8 years of experience (total experience under 10 years) in retail or trading, with proven expertise in OTB planning, replenishment, markdown management, and inventory optimization. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, advanced Power BI and Excel proficiency, and a trading mindset to identify and maximize business opportunities. Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills are essential, along with a go-getter attitude, attention to detail, and the ability to perform under pressure in a fast-paced, multi-market environment.

Key Responsibilities

- Strategic Planning & Execution:
Define and implement key merchandising strategies aligned with business objectives and the merchandising framework.
- OTB & Seasonal Buys:
Plan, manage, and monitor seasonal Open-to-Buy (OTB) and buys to achieve targeted sales and margins.
- Sales & Stock Management:
Maintain monthly sales and stock intake plans, including product gap analysis and assortment planning.
- New Store Development:
Collaborate with store development teams to ensure optimized product space allocation in new stores.
- Visual Merchandising & Trade Marketing:
Partner with VM and trade marketing teams to standardize in-store communication tools across EM.
- Supply Chain Optimization:
Work closely with SCM teams to improve replenishment and reduce inefficiencies.
- KPI Management:
Monitor key metrics (net sales, sell-through, margin, inventory, IDL) and drive corrective actions to achieve business goals.
- Markdowns & Promotions:
Implement standardized markdown and promotional strategies (e.g., BOGO, seasonal discounts) to balance profitability and inventory aging.
- Reporting & Insights:
Develop and manage merchandising reports and dashboards (Power BI) to support data-driven decision-making.
- Weekly Trade Reviews:
Conduct weekly analysis of sales, inventory, and product performance, and create gap plans with markets.
- Best Practice Sharing:
Promote knowledge transfer across value stores and franchise networks within EM.
- Project Leadership:
Lead strategic projects and initiatives to support growth and operational excellence.
- Leadership & Culture:
Serve as a role model for leadership and foster the ONE EM mindset across teams.

We Are Looking for Experience In

- Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across multi-country teams.
- Strong knowledge and hands-on expertise with Power BI (mandatory).
- Merchandising or trading background (

Note:

No buying backgrounds).
- Total experience of less than 10 years, with 6–8 years in merchandising.
- Go-getter attitude with strong ownership and a results-driven mindset.

Well-Versed In

- OTB (Open-to-Buy) management.
- Replenishment planning and stock optimization.
- Markdown and promotion strategies (e.g., BOGO offers, discounting).
- Store operations and retail management.
- Inventory management and retail analytics.
- Sales forecasting and category performance tracking.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Strong financial acumen and retail math expertise.
- Advanced MS Excel and reporting skills.
- Analytical, detail-oriented, and structured problem solver.
- Ability to influence across diverse teams (directly and indirectly).
- Trading mindset with entrepreneurial agility.
- Solid understanding of retail management systems and processes.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, multi-market environment.

Education & Experience

- University degree in Business, Marketing, Sales, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
- 6–8 years of merchandising or trading experience, ideally in retail value stores or emerging markets.
- Total work experience under 10 years.