Job Purpose: (2-3 Days in Office) The Branch Merchandising Assistant is responsible for the allocation and replenishment of stock to our stores and website. You will own specific product areas across our range, becoming an expert in the systems required to place stock into the most commercial location to maximise profitability and minimise mark down. You’ll work closely with an Assistant Branch Merchandiser (ABM), external functions such as Merchandising, Distribution Centre and Retail teams and a team of peers to ensure the stock package of our stores and website is optimised. You’ll become proficient in specialist systems to get stock to stores whilst monitoring the performance of your product areas against a number of key performance indicators. The Branch Merchandising Assistant role is an exciting, fast-paced product-facing position that will provide candidates with a foundation from which to pursue a career in many fields across the Retail industry such as Branch Merchandising, product Merchandising and eCommerce planning/trading. Accountabilities & Responsibilities Responsible for the allocation and replenishment of multiple product categories across both stores and eComm, ensuring stock is distributed in the most efficient and commercial way. Uses specialist systems to set up all allocations and manage replenishment parameters. Can configure these systems to deliver required results and trouble-shoot where required. Is aware of weekly product performance for relevant product categories and can confidently talk through in weekly meetings with the wider Branch Merch and Space Planning team. Utilises the Supply Chain booking diary on a daily basis; displays an awareness of when stock is due to arrive and ensures stock is sent to stores as quickly as possible. Displays an awareness of future intake for their relevant product categories, is aware weeks that look like they have a particularly high intake and plans workload accordingly including working with peers to pro-actively support if required. Monitors performance at line level, working collaboratively with your managers and product teams to manage identify opportunity to increase or decrease branch stocks where commercial. Manges the strategic release of product when seasonally appropriate time. Manages spreadsheet to ensure the business has visibility of product being held. Monitors performance of their product areas online and optimises stock offer by manually replenishing where appropriate. Displays an awareness of important online trading performance indicators such as cover and availability. Attends a weekly Distribution Review meetings with product Merchandising teams to agree all distribution requirements of forthcoming intake. Prepares supporting material, ensuring all comments are accurate, coherent and allocation requests are logical and commercial. Ensures strong communication with various internal and external stakeholders, and acts as the primary point of contact with product teams. Reviews best and worst sellers on a weekly basis (with guidance from ABM and product team) ensuring stocks are replenishing accordingly. Oversees the clearance of stock ahead of upcoming sale events (with guidance from ABM) ensuring there is a strategic plan to clear stock within sale periods. Ensures product is placed in a timely manner and all allocation system strategies are active. Plans and allocates stock packages for all new and re-location stores, reviewing progress frequently and proposing action when action needs to be taken. Ensures store opens with sufficient stock and pro-actively escalates concerns to the relevant manager. Ensures replenishment parameters are in place to respond to sales when stores open. Supports visual merchandising function with by allocating stock to model store VM set up. Ensures any requests from product teams are also actioned to ensure stock will land in store in a timely manner. Is aware of weekly intake and distribution targets and how relevant product categories are tracking against target. Displays an awareness of performance at store level for their product areas. Runs weekly store performance reporting for product teams on a Monday. Works with Branch Merchandisers to propose appropriate action on best-performing stores to build stocks. Can confidently refresh and analyse data produced by Business Objects reporting system. Actions all product team allocation requests in a timely manner Can prioritise and has a flexible and well organised approach to workload, with an ability to manage deadlines effectively. Comfortable working with hybrid flexible working and potentialises output, makes the most of face-to-face interaction with product teams, line managers and peers in the office. Is able to self-motivate and work independently at home and from our central London office. Participates in a collaborative working culture with peers and the wider Branch Merchandising and Space Planning team. Operates collaboratively with the BMA peer group to ensure the team operates efficiently and consistently and to a high standard. Technical Knowledge & Experience Minimum level of education or qualifications Mathematics GCSE grade C or above Educated to degree level advantageous but not essential Essential skills/knowledge Computer literate – knowledge of Microsoft Office (particularly Excel) and comfortable working with new specialist systems Analytical approach – an interest in working with data to inform ways of working Numerate; comfortable working with numbers and data Is pro-active; can self-motivate and and work independently to deliver a task. Has an attention to detail A team player who communicates effectively with all internal and external teams. Can deliver to a high standard when under pressure, in a fast-paced environment Displays initiative and problem-solving skills; is solution focused. Retail experience is essential either in store or within a Head Office environment with strong commercial awareness A motivated and hard-working individual who will represent our New Look values Desirable Skills/knowledge Experience of using Microsoft Excel to a basic/Computer literate to an intermediate or advanced level. Key Relationships Internally Branch Merchandising Assistants (BAA), Assistant Branch Merchandisers (ABM), Senior Branch Merchandisers, Head of Branch Merchandising & Space Planning, Space Planning Assistants, Space Planners Externally Merchandising Admin Assistant (MAA), Assistant Merchandisers (AM), Merchandiser (product), eCommerce Trading Assistants, DC operation, retail team
