At a Glance
- Tasks: Analyse data to drive sales and optimise product range for a leading design company.
- Company: Swoon, a dynamic brand creating distinctive home designs since 2012.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, share options, remote work, and generous holiday allowance.
- Why this job: Join a small, ambitious team and make a real impact on product success.
- Qualifications: 2-3 years in an analytical role with strong Excel skills and retail knowledge.
- Other info: Flexible working, regular workshops, and a vibrant team culture.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Swoon was founded in 2012 to create distinctive designs that owners will want to keep forever and a lofty goal to spark home obsession everywhere. We design original pieces in-house, and our innovative NPD process quickly discovers the next trend. Our testing platform ensures designs sell online at their intended price, and our data-led approach grows sales within families exponentially. Our business model cuts out expensive overheads like shops and overstocked warehouses, making our prices affordable. Our distinctive look unlocks collaborations with leading retailers like John Lewis and many more. This diversified growth strategy is powering our brand to a significant market share. And we’re just getting started…
We’re on the hunt for a Buying and Merchandising Analyst who is motivated by data integrity, curious about what drives sales, and capable of translating complex numbers into actionable insights. This role is essential for the smooth running of our commercial operations and is two-fold:
- Operational Excellence: You will own our reporting ecosystem, from running weekly availability reports to maintaining accurate range records. You’ll be the gatekeeper of our stock forecast and ordering model, ensuring we have the right products at the right time to optimise revenue.
- Actionable Insights: Beyond just running the numbers, you’ll analyse performance to identify "winning" products, families, aesthetics and market gaps. You’ll provide the data-backed rationale that directs our design team on where to aim next, helping us grow into new categories with confidence.
We’re looking for someone process-obsessed and technically proficient, particularly with excel / sheets and keen to build dashboarding skills (like Sigma). You should be comfortable diving into line-level SKU performance one hour and presenting high-level stock recovery or pricing summaries to stakeholders the next. You’ll support key cycles like monthly ordering, annual pricing reviews, ensuring our stock model is managed with precision.
Key Responsibilities:
- Range Reporting
- Run weekly and monthly range reporting
- Ensure accurate range records are maintained
- Run weekly availability reporting and ensure actions are taken to ensure range is on site
- Run monthly newness reporting, providing clear directives to design team for extending winners
- Set up regular reporting for made to order business
- Inform range planning through research on market trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities.
- Analyse gaps in range (categories, price, aesthetic) and brief internal teams (design, manufacturing, marketing)
- Analyse winning families and create a framework to extend quickly
- Run monthly forecast and ordering proposal
- Build and maintain stock forecast
- Run quarterly revenue reforecast
- Review pricing to ensure competitive price offering across the range
- Run annual pricing review to ensure range is competitive vs competitors and action any pricing changes
- Business partner development and design team to ensure a smooth tendering process and that newness hits pricing targets
- Utilise dashboarding tool Sigma to build and maintain revenue and range dashboards
- Manage and prioritise automation project work to enable quicker decision making
Requirements
Technical Requirements Experience: 2–3+ years in a highly analytical role, preferably within Retail Merchandising, Supply Chain, or Category Management.
Advanced Excel/G-Sheets: Proficiency with complex formulas, Pivot Tables, and data modeling is essential, as the role involves "stock forecasting" and "revenue reforecast.
BI & Dashboarding: Hands-on experience with Sigma or keen to learn.
Retail literacy: A solid understanding of retail KPIs such as Cover, sell through and margin.
Functional & Analytical Skills
- Commercial Acumen: The ability to not just "run reports" but to translate data into "clear directives" for design and manufacturing teams.
- Gap Analysis: Proven ability to identify "white space" or gaps in a product range based on competitor benchmarking and market trends.
- Forecasting Accuracy: Experience in demand planning and building stock models that balance availability with terminal stock risk.
- Pricing Strategy: Familiarity with competitive pricing analysis and the impact of price elasticity on margins.
Soft Skills & Communication
- Stakeholder Management: Ability to "brief internal teams" (Design, Marketing, Manufacturing) and oversee multi functional internal projects.
- Project Prioritisation: Experience managing automation projects or process improvements to speed up decision-making.
- Precision & Detail: Given the focus on "accurate range records" and "monthly forecast proposals," a high degree of numerical accuracy is non-negotiable.
Travel to London is required 2-4 days per month.
Benefits
Upbeat, ambitious and collaborative – that’s us. We’re a lean team of 25, so if you relish responsibility and like to impact an outcome, we’re the place for you. We’ve made flexible working a permanent thing. Right now, the team works from home, but we’re open to what people might need in the future. We hold regular workshops in London; if the team wants to get together in a co-working space, that’s fine, too.
We have a wide range of perks and benefits, including:
- Competitive salary
- Share options programme
- Profit share scheme
- Wellbeing allowance
- Pension scheme
- Private medical cover for you and your family
Holidays, working environment and other perks
- 27 days holiday rising to 30 with tenure
- 4 months of summer hours finishing at 1 PM on a Friday (we’re currently trialling rolling this out permanently!)
- Free furniture on each anniversary of employment
- Friends & family discount of 20%
- Remote working
- Frequent meet-ups, in-person workshops and socials
Buying & Merchandising Analyst - 1 Year FTC, available immediately employer: Swoon Editions
Contact Detail:
Swoon Editions Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Buying & Merchandising Analyst - 1 Year FTC, available immediately
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its products. Understand their market position and be ready to discuss how your skills can help them achieve their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your data storytelling skills. Be ready to explain how you've used data to drive decisions in past roles. This will resonate well with Swoon’s focus on actionable insights and data integrity.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at Swoon.
We think you need these skills to ace Buying & Merchandising Analyst - 1 Year FTC, available immediately
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Buying & Merchandising Analyst role. Highlight your analytical skills and experience with Excel or G-Sheets, as these are key for us. Don’t forget to mention any relevant projects that showcase your ability to translate data into actionable insights!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re excited about the role and how your background aligns with our goals at Swoon. Be sure to mention your passion for retail and how you can contribute to our innovative approach.
Show Off Your Data Skills: Since this role is all about data integrity and analysis, make sure to highlight your experience with data reporting and forecasting. If you’ve used tools like Sigma or have built dashboards before, let us know! We love seeing candidates who are process-obsessed.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative!
How to prepare for a job interview at Swoon Editions
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Buying & Merchandising Analyst, you'll be dealing with data all day long. Brush up on your Excel skills and be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in the past. Be prepared to share specific examples of how you've translated complex numbers into actionable insights.
✨Understand the Market
Familiarise yourself with current market trends and competitor activities. Show that you can identify gaps in product ranges and suggest opportunities for growth. This will demonstrate your commercial acumen and ability to think strategically about the role.
✨Be Process-Obsessed
This role requires a keen eye for detail and a passion for operational excellence. Prepare to discuss your experience with stock forecasting and range reporting. Highlight any processes you've improved or automated in previous roles to showcase your proactive approach.
✨Communicate Clearly
You'll need to brief internal teams and manage stakeholder relationships effectively. Practice explaining complex concepts in simple terms. Think about how you can convey your ideas clearly and concisely, as this will be crucial in ensuring smooth collaboration across departments.