Senior Assistant Merchandiser - Apparel

Join to apply for the Senior Assistant Merchandiser – Apparel role at JD Sports Fashion. Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni‑channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms. Our colleagues work in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world. JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE 100 publicly quoted company since 2019. We aim to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry and want to grow in the UK and internationally.

To help achieve this, you will help ingrain our strategic goals of being a people‑led, innovative and customer‑focused organisation that delivers operational excellence while identifying new growth areas as part of our day‑to‑day objectives.

Role Overview

The Senior Assistant Merchandiser (SAM) plays a key role within the Merchandising function, providing vital support to the team to achieve optimum efficiency and to deliver the departmental plan on customer, sales and profit. The SAM takes responsibility for ensuring the right stock and intake is available, continually looking for opportunities to maximise product and store potential, whilst working collaboratively with the Merchandising team and key areas of the business.

Responsibilities

• Support with product mix and sign‑off pack reporting and analysis.
• Assist in the formulation of the range plan at store level with the Merchandiser/Buyer.
• Plan a brand/division/category, supported by the Merchandiser.
• Load plans in WSSI following product mix meetings.
• Create accurate size ratios for all buys.
• Ensure planners are accurate to support order‑raising process.
• Support Merchandise Assistants on creating purchase orders via upload.
• Reconcile supplier order books and communicate all anomalies, on bigger brands.
• Collate bookings with Buying team.
• Prioritise intake and review booked lines to ensure best stock placement, with guidance from the Merchandiser.
• Establish working relationships with supplier base.
• Review reporting and collate key findings in preparation for department trade email.
• Compile focus for the week for yourself and Merchandise Assistant.
• Review sales analysis to identify key trade actions; suggest cancellation, rephasing and markdown activity to Merchandiser.
• Identify priority stores for the week, review and propose actions.
• New / re‑fit stores – analysis of performance.
• Over / under performing stores.
• Over / under optioned stores.
• Trading team branch feedback.
• Identify lines to IBT and fast track.
• Propose distribution amends to Buying and Merchandiser.
• Check and approve weekly divisional price changes prior to upload.
• Review branch actions for the Merchandise Assistant to complete.
• Undertake store visits, collate report and feedback.
• Help build new store stock package and track progress.
• Use Linecards to suggest actions to ensure key lines are in stock.
• Suggest lines for markdown.
• Identify ideal level actions.
• Set up range plan.
• Over Merchandise Assistant’s weekly tasks.
• Establish collaborative working relationships within teams across functions.
• Carry out any ad‑hoc analysis as required.