Merchandising Manager, Women’s & Kid’s

Summary Description:

This position is responsible for leading the merchandising and buying function for Lacoste product for the Women’s & Kid’s department for both first choice (boutiques/ecomm) and second choice (outlet). This individual will partner with the Director of Buying and Merchandising, to identify market trends and set the merchandising and buying strategy. In conjunction with this, they will be working with the wholesale team to ensure their product needs are being met for the region. The merchandising manager will be responsible for developing and driving appropriate assortments for our Lacoste Boutiques, Ecommerce, and Outlets, ensuring brand goals and objectives are met through historical analysis, trends, and the specific needs of our Lacoste customer.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

• In partnership with the Director of Buying and Merchandising, set buying strategy for our first choice and second choice distributions to realize brand goals and objectives.
• All retail merchandising and buying accountability for the categories of Women’s & Kid’s businesses for both first choice and second choice.
• All product accountability for the categories of Women’s & Kid’s for the wholesale channel – select product line for the NORCAM market.
• Lead/execute segmentation and differentiation across multiple tiers, channels and customer profiles for the wholesale market.
• Work in close partnership with planning, visual merchandising, and retail team to manage in-season business performance, as well as coordinate in advance for each seasonal delivery.
• Focus on future of business by identifying market trends, assortment opportunities, and understanding the Lacoste customer.
• Partner with the planning team regarding buying strategy and ensuring financial viability and excellence in execution.
• Complete the buy during market; product selection and assortment, while managing the sku and merchandise plan and meeting financial objectives.
• Manage the system creation and pricing control for all channels for North America.
• Strategize key items, promotions and mark downs with planning and retail team.
• Partner with Merchandising teams in France regarding the construction of the seasonal line, addressing business needs defined by historical sales, productivity analysis, and the understanding of market trends that apply to the dna of the brand.
• Liaise with supply chain, as well as planning and allocation to ensure availability and the timely delivery of merchandise.
• Communicate with visual team to optimize product investments on store sales floor.
• Partner with team to run analysis and prepare selling hindsight’s on weekly, monthly, quarterly, seasonal basis in order to help identify opportunities in the assortment.
• Collaborate with store team to refine knowledge of customer needs.

Requirements/Qualifications:

Proven success merchandising/buying and managing assortments for a retail organization, and ideally, experience working with a European corporate office.

Demonstrates a high level of understanding of merchandising within a wholesale branded environment.

Experience in category leadership.

Strong analytical and retail math skills.

Strong communications, time management and presentation skills.

A critical thinker who drives solutions.

Results and solutions-oriented leader

Exhibits strong leadership skills with ability to motivate a team and create a sense of urgency

Flexible team player, ability to work collaboratively across all departments.

8+ years’ experience in merchandising/buying role preferably working with wholesale.

Core Values and Traits:

Play as One Team:

Showing respect towards everyone

Commitment for the team’s work and decisions

Play with Elegance:

Striving for excellence

Treating others with fair play and humility

Play by Daring:

Having the courage to speak up, experiment and take initiative

To explore new opportunities

Play with Tenacity:

Constantly seek continuous improvement

Learning from our failures