Junior Merchandiser - Seasonal Range

Are you an Allocator or Assistant Merchandiser ready for your next step? Join Dobbies’ Buying & Merchandising team as a Junior Merchandiser and take ownership of a Seasonal Ranges department. You’ll plan stock, drive sales & margin, and role model for a team of Al locators; all from our dog-friendly Central Support Office in Lasswade, with hybrid working.

You’ll be responsible for maximising sales and profit for a designated department through effective planning and trading. Working closely with the Buyer; you’ll plan ranges, manage stock & orders, and hit sales, stock & margin targets. You’ll also manage and develop the Al locators, making sure best-practice processes are in place.

• Help deliver divisional KPIs: sales, stock, intake margin, markdown and net margin
• Prepare business plans, including scopes and range reviews
• Plan ranges with the Buyer, using historical data, future trends and seasonal variations
• Analyse sales, trends and performance to spot opportunities and reduce risk
• Make sure orders are placed on time and are sufficient to meet sales targets
• Plan promotions and volume deals when needed
• Manage reforecasting of the Weekly Sales, Stock and Intake (WSSI) plan and Open-to-Buy (OTB), keeping them aligned with stock requirements
• Maintain the buying calendar and critical path with the team
• Build strong relationships with suppliers so issues are resolved quickly
• Visit stores regularly to understand customers and support store teams
• Work with Space Planning to make sure planograms and replenishment parameters are set up and launched on time

• The right amount of stock is bought to optimise sales
• Stores have the right stock levels on the shop floor and in the stockroom
• Store teams are kept informed and can deliver their KPIs
• Your team’s workload is well organised and supports the wider strategy
• Colleagues value working with you

• Experience in retail merchandising, allocation or stock planning
• Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups) and confidence with Word and Power Point
• Strong numeracy with commercial and financial awareness
• Understanding of domestic and global supply chain processes
• Excellent organisation, planning and attention to detail
• Confidence managing several priorities against tight deadlines
• Good negotiation, presentation and problem-solving skills
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships across the business
• Experience supervising or coaching others is a plus

We’re one team, getting better every day. We bring a smile. We live and breathe gardens. We make it work for our customers.

• 33 days’ annual leave (pro rata for part time)
• Hybrid working: a mix of office and home working
• Generous uncapped discount: 50% off in our restaurants, 25% in the garden centre and 10% in our food halls
• Enhanced company pension
• Learning and development: Dobbies Academy plus funded study and qualifications
• Financial wellbeing: Stream app for early access to earned pay, savings and advice
• Wellbeing support: Retail Trust, including a virtual GP, free counselling and retail discounts
• Interest-free season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme
• Life assurance and eye care
• A great place to work: dog-friendly office, wellbeing room, free tea and coffee, annual conference, plus summer and Christmas socials

About Us

At Dobbies, we’re proud to have a history dating back to 1865. We were founded by James Dobbie and are the only garden centre retailer to have stores in every nation across the UK.

Our passion and joy for gardens and plants is what makes us special. In our stores, we showcase this through own brand and branded products, concession partners and services. We champion garden living all-year-round.

Many of our…