Softline Merchandise Development Manager (Fashion)

Define and coordinate strategic initiatives to boost category performance and execution for store in alignment with commercial targets. Drive 4P strategy across categories by leveraging market data, internal priorities, and store needs.

1. Own Category P&L and Deliver Business Objectives

• Define and lead category-level business objectives, targets, and KPIs (Sales, Margin, etc).
• Own and manage Category P&L; perform OTB planning and ensure full alignment with financial planning and budget targets.
• Track and analyze category performance regularly, identifying risks and opportunities to meet and exceed profitability targets.

2. Category & Banner Strategy Development and Execution

• Analyze market trends, customer behavior, competitive landscape, and store segmentation to define clear category and banner strategies.
• Identify assortment gaps and growth opportunities for banner or type of stores.
• Build category and banner strategies aligned with brand positioning, BU’s customer proposition, and BU objectives, concept.
• Consolidate business needs into clear category and banner development briefs for execution.
• Propose promotional strategies, mechanics, item selections, and timing aligned with overall banner and Commercial plans.
• Monitor and ensure effective execution across VM, Trade Plan, In-store, and to maximize sales impact.

3. Drive Assortment and Product Planning

• Define optimal assortment by store tier
• Lead product planning per banner/store: product specifications, product mix, materials, packaging types, collection themes, and sample validation.
• Set and manage price architecture (Step-in / Good / Better / Best) based on competitors’ benchmarking and target positioning.
• Input product selections for Trade Plan exercises per activation and campaign.
• Prepare clear and actionable commercial briefs for Commercial team.
• Manage assortment selection processes and ensure strict timeline compliance

4. Cross-Functional Coordination & Governance

• Act as a key interface between Commercial, Sourcing, VM, Operations, Marketing, and Demand planning teams.
• Lead regular cross-functional alignment meetings to ensure smooth execution and issue resolution.

5. Reporting & Performance Monitoring

• Build dashboards and management reports
• Track KPIs to evaluate strategy effectiveness and execution quality.
• Proactively recommend corrective actions based on performance analysis.