Job Description:
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Position Summary
The incumbent will provide strategic direction for one or more merchandise categories within all channels of distribution. The major function of this position is to achieve sales, gross margin, and market share goals by leveraging the company's competitive advantage, which is its ability to reach customers through a variety of channels including store, catalog, web, phone, direct sales etc.
Required Skills
□ Fundamental knowledge of concepts, practices, and characteristics of office products merchandising. □ Ability to supervise and evaluate more than one project simultaneously □ Advanced communication skills □ Desktop PC applications knowledge (spreadsheet, word processing, presentation, and category management software)
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Job Description
□ Set and achieve annual budgets for his/her departments (budget items including but not limited to sales, gross margin, program funds, inventory turnover, and in-stock performance
□ Assist his/her Senior Associate Merchant and/or Associate Merchant in planning and executing merchandising strategies consistent both with his/her budget goals and the discrete requirements of the company's several channels. Particular emphasis not only on implementing assortment plans consistent with the company’s positioning, but also on adjusting his/her assortments to satisfy changing customer preferences
□ Demonstrate a level of comfort and confidence with vendors and in so doing, assist his/her merchandising staff in negotiating programs that grow category sales, as opposed to discrete vendor sales within the departments
□ Assist management in interpreting and applying organization policy with respect to his/her staff. Recommend changes in policy and procedures in instances where existing policy may be inconsistent with the company's vision and values
□ Communicate annual changes to the Company’s PI pack to vendors and negotiate favorable terms for the upcoming year. Negotiate additional support and funding daily with vendors
□ Develop and execute strategic sourcing plans to assigned categories. Work cross-functionally to improve and streamline processes. Initiate quality vendor relationships to support new and ongoing product and services sourcing needs. Evaluate vendor relationships and terminate if necessary
□ Work with stores and functional areas to determine products and services to be sourced. Manage the vendor and resolve issues regarding product quality, delivery etc
□ Forecasting of sales, margin, promotional activities, inventory levels (active and inactive), shrink, returns, and vendor funding program. This function is incredibly important to the company as the merchant forecast is what payroll; marketing and other expenses are planned against
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