Assistant Merchandiser / Merchandising Assistant - Shoes

Job Title: Assistant Merchandiser

Salary: £19,000 - £23,000 per annum

Location: Skelmersdale

Job Type: Full Time, Permanent - Monday - Friday, 37.5 hours per week plus flexibility as appropriate

The company was set up in 1959; they've been designing and making footwear now for 50 years! They diversified from their roots - slipper production - in the early 1990s, when they had their 'eureka moment' - identifying a niche in the market for stylish shoes with comfort built in.

Since then product innovation, world class production facilities, and continual reinvestment in their business has seen their shoe collections expand beyond all recognition and their circle of friends grow by hundreds of thousands each year.

The company is currently looking for a hardworking and pro-active Assistant Merchandiser to join their Merchandising department. You will support the Merchandiser in the day-to-day running of the product range covering all sales channels, and assist the Merchandiser with keys tasks to deliver sales and margin targets whilst delivering end of season target stock levels.

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Assist with running of weekly reports covering Sales, Stock, POs and Cover. Review data and provide insight into figures. Form recommendations to discuss with the Merchandiser and agree proposed actions to drive sales and margin.
• Share cross-range department responsibilities with other Assistant Merchandiser/Junior Merchandiser such as product setup, PO date amendments, raising of POs and barcode loading.
• Carry out ad hoc analysis as required by the Merchandiser outside of normal BUA tasks. Review data and propose actions to drive profit.
• Assist with WSSI maintenance and management. Flag any issues noticed within the WSSI data that may require action.
• Raise product range POs as required by the Merchandiser. Work with the Merchandiser to carry out size ratio analysis to use on the buys.
• Manage all product setup process at season start-up and throughout the season, maintaining 100% accuracy throughout.
• Carry out basic brochure checks as required by the Merchandiser, feed change requirements back to Marketing team.
• Perform website checks to ensure the product range covered looks as desired on the web. Advise improvement suggestions and work with the Web Administrator to enact change requirements that drive sales and customer experience.
• Assess purchase order chase/defer requirements and highlight to the Merchandiser. Work with the Production department to action requirements and confirm actions back to Merchandiser. Monitor PO date slippage and flag issues, investigate slippage with Production
• Setup and maintain all product prices with Navision for range of products covered. Enter Mid-Season Sale, End Of Season Sale and New Season prices in a timely manner. Advise Web Administrator when prices are correct to link up Contact Centre and Web prices.
• Maintain product detail sheets (Bibles) to ensure accurate single sources of Merchandising and Design information.
• Work with Merchandiser to perform brochure/email/store window selections. Feedback change requirements to relevant departments. Maintain selection data in relevant spreadsheets.
• Assess competitor's actions and the company's price relevance in the marketplace. Highlight risks and opportunities - especially at key times of pricing and forecasting.
• Help maintain Line Cards for the product range. Highlight any potential issues or opportunities to the Merchandiser.
• Work with the Merchandising Allocator as required to manage the product range store availability. Confirm actions taken back to the Merchandiser.
• Carry out weekly reviews of stock by channel to ensure stock is utilised in the most efficient channel. Propose and execute actions to drive sales and profitability.

Who they are looking for?

• Strong analytical skills
• A very strong eye for detail and accuracy
• Pro-active and motivated way of working
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Good listening skills
• Be able to manage and prioritise workload independently
• Have a positive attitude towards change
• Ability to develop own views around products and be able to actively contribute to discussions
• At least 2 years' experience required at Assistant Merchandiser level
• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Excel is essential

To apply for this role, please click APPLY to submit your CV and a Cover Letter.

Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of; Retail Merchandiser, Fashion Merchandiser, Merchandiser, Fashion Purchasing, Assistant Merchandiser, Senior Merchandising Administration Assistant may also be considered for this role.