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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Fashion Merchandiser

💰 $65,000 - $95,000

FashionRetailMerchandisingProduct ManagementBuying

🎯 Role Definition

As a Fashion Merchandiser, you are the strategic bridge between creative design and commercial success. You will be the architect of our product collections, using a sharp analytical mind and a keen eye for fashion to drive profitability. This role involves curating product assortments that resonate with our target customer, analyzing market trends, and managing the product lifecycle from initial concept to the sales floor. You will collaborate extensively with design, planning, marketing, and sales teams to ensure our brand vision is translated into a commercially viable and compelling product offering that achieves financial targets and solidifies our market position.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Assistant Merchandiser
  • Buying Assistant / Assistant Buyer
  • Merchandising Coordinator

Advancement To:

  • Senior Fashion Merchandiser
  • Merchandising Manager
  • Director of Merchandising / Head of Merchandising

Lateral Moves:

  • Product Developer
  • Brand Manager
  • E-commerce Category Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and execute seasonal merchandising strategies that align with brand direction, customer demand, and financial objectives.
  • Curate and build compelling, balanced product assortments for all channels (retail, e-commerce, wholesale) based on historical data, market trends, and competitive analysis.
  • Analyze in-depth sales data, sell-through rates, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify opportunities, risks, and inform future buying decisions.
  • Manage the entire product lifecycle, from initial concept and line plan creation to go-to-market execution and end-of-life-cycle management.
  • Partner closely with the Design team to ensure product aesthetics, features, and quality meet brand standards and commercial needs.
  • Formulate and manage the Open-to-Buy (OTB) budget to optimize inventory levels, maximize sales, and achieve margin targets.
  • Conduct comprehensive market research and competitive analysis to identify emerging trends, white space opportunities, and shifts in consumer behavior.
  • Set strategic product pricing, promotional cadences, and markdown strategies to drive revenue and manage inventory turn.
  • Present seasonal collections and merchandising strategies to key internal stakeholders, including leadership, sales, and marketing teams.
  • Collaborate with the Planning team to develop accurate sales forecasts, manage inventory flow, and ensure optimal stock levels.
  • Drive the assortment planning process by defining product breadth, depth, and flow for each season and delivery window.
  • Analyze product performance at the style, color, and size level to create actionable insights for in-season management and future assortment development.
  • Partner with Sourcing and Production teams to ensure target costs and margins are met while maintaining product quality and on-time delivery schedules.
  • Develop clear and effective visual merchandising guidelines and partner with store operations and e-commerce teams to ensure a consistent brand presentation.

Secondary Functions

  • Support the creation of product knowledge and training materials for sales associates and customer service teams.
  • Manage and maintain product samples throughout the development and go-to-market process, ensuring accuracy and availability for photoshoots and meetings.
  • Prepare and present weekly, monthly, and seasonal business review reports to leadership, highlighting performance and strategic initiatives.
  • Participate in key cross-functional meetings, acting as the voice of merchandising and ensuring alignment across departments.
  • Conduct regular store visits and maintain open communication with the field team to gather firsthand feedback on product performance and customer response.
  • Assist in negotiating with vendors on pricing, delivery terms, and exclusivity to build strong, profitable partnerships.
  • Monitor purchase order (PO) tracking and vendor communication to proactively address any potential production or delivery delays.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Retail Math Proficiency: Deep understanding of key metrics including margin, markup, sell-through, stock-to-sales ratio, and weeks of supply.
  • Assortment Planning: Proven ability to build and manage complex product assortments across multiple categories and channels.
  • Inventory Management: Expertise in managing Open-to-Buy (OTB), forecasting, and optimizing stock levels.
  • Advanced Excel: High proficiency in Excel, including pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, and complex formula creation for data analysis and reporting.
  • Data Analysis: Strong ability to interpret sales data, identify patterns, and generate actionable, data-driven insights.
  • PLM/ERP Systems: Experience working with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software.
  • Trend Forecasting: A keen eye for identifying and translating emerging fashion trends into commercially viable products.

Soft Skills

  • Commercial Acumen: A strong sense of the market, competitive landscape, and what drives a profitable business.
  • Analytical & Strategic Thinking: The ability to see the big picture, connect disparate data points, and formulate long-term strategies.
  • Collaboration & Influence: Excellent interpersonal skills to build relationships and influence decisions across cross-functional teams.
  • Communication & Presentation: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the confidence to present to leadership.
  • Negotiation Skills: The ability to effectively negotiate with internal and external partners to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and can pivot strategies as needed.
  • Organization & Attention to Detail: Meticulous organizational skills to manage multiple seasons and complex datasets simultaneously.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's Degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Fashion Merchandising
  • Business Administration
  • Retail Management
  • Marketing

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3-7 years of progressive experience in a fashion merchandising, buying, or planning role.

Preferred: Direct experience within a specific product category (e.g., apparel, accessories, footwear) and a proven track record of driving growth in a direct-to-consumer (DTC) or multi-channel retail environment.

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