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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Oversee merchandise strategy and collaborate with teams to connect artists and fans.
- Company: Join Universal Music, the world's leading music company with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, private medical insurance, and generous annual leave.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace committed to diversity and personal growth.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team shaping culture through innovative merchandising.
- Qualifications: Experience in merchandising, strong analytical skills, and proficiency in Excel.
The predicted salary is between 35000 - 45000 £ per year.
Music is Universal
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.
Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.
We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email UniversalMusicCareers@umusic.com.
The A Side: A Day in The Life
UMUK value e-Commerce as a key foundational channel to connect artists and fans. This is a fast-paced role overseeing our merchandise product strategy across the UMG roster. You will be principal merchandiser to help with forecasting, replenishing & suggested promo activity for our merchandise collections across our central and frontline labels and merchandise division.
The business unit manages design & ideation of merchandise and manages a portfolio of ecommerce stores whilst providing a broad scope of services across eCommerce, Tour, VIP, Fan Clubs and Retail.
You will work across the Direct to Consumer (D2C) roster and work closely with the Head of Planning as well as our label CFTS, brand Management, creative, Production and operations. This role is a vital part of the eCommerce growth strategy and will oversee a full merchandise strategy including product trends, analytics, and individual store forecasts.
The B Side: Skills & Experience
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You will work closely with our Brand Managers & label Ecomm Product Managers to plan & buy product ranges, manage stock levels & budgets
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Analyse our collection ranges looking for trends to forecast out sales, daily unit cadence, stock cover, top up opportunities and profit margins on sales history & growth opportunities
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Delve into product KPI’s; clicks, conversion, days online, sell through and PLP position
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Communicating with our Store Managers with recommendations for merchandising of stores where we have recently topped up products or if products have high stock & had minimal visibility
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Support development of our labels a marketing and promotion calendar and manage planning lifecycle of products
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Manage the evergreen merchandising strategy for specific artist stores and collections
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Price & SWOT analysis across product types
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Factory and supplier visits with the N1C production team
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Competitor analysis around; product set, price and promotion
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Communicate inventory needs with Senior Director of Ecommerce, label, brand management, supply chain and production teams to plan against upcoming product lines and marketing
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Initiate buy – gaining financial approval and processing with in-house creative & production team. Communicate incoming buys and timelines to key stakeholders for each store
Person Specification
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Extensive experience within a merchandising role, preferably within the fashion industry
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Strong analytical and numerical skills
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Strong organizational skills, with ability to successfully prioritize and manage multiple accountabilities simultaneously
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Experience with forecasting & demand planning across a high volume of styles & SKUs
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Highly proficient within Microsoft Excel pivot tables, vlookups
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Good decision making skills
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Ability to work well under pressure & manage multiple projects/tasks with competing deadlines
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Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
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BQ and Looker studio experience desirable
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Ability to work within and across multiple cross functional teams, collaborating with a range of commercial and commerce stakeholders
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Ability to maintain confidentiality
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Strongly proactive – advising labels on buys, replen and promo in a timely fashion to maximise sales
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Ability to interact with outside partners and executive management
About UMG UK
We are Universal Music Group UK – the UK’s leading music-based entertainment company. We exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. We help UK artists produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to inspire and entertain fans at home and around the world.
Bonus Tracks: Your Benefits
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Group Personal Pension Scheme (between 3% and 9%)
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Private Medical Insurance
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25 paid days of annual leave
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Interest Free Season Ticket Loan
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Holiday Purchase scheme
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Dental and Travel Insurance options
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Cycle to Work Scheme
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Salary Sacrifice Cars
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Subsidised Gym Membership
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Employee Discounts (Reward Gateway)
Just So You Know…
The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder’s specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.
Job Category:
Universal Music Group
Merchandising Planner in London employer: Universal Music
Contact Detail:
Universal Music Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Merchandising Planner in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the music industry, especially those connected to Universal Music. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about sliding into DMs. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Universal Music’s latest projects and trends in merchandising. Show us you’re passionate about the role by discussing how you can contribute to their eCommerce growth strategy. Bring your A-game and some fresh ideas!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or family to get comfortable talking about your experience and skills. Focus on how your analytical and organisational skills can help with forecasting and managing stock levels.
✨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 serious about joining the Universal Music family. Let’s make some music magic together!
We think you need these skills to ace Merchandising Planner in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Merchandising Planner role. Highlight your relevant experience in merchandising, especially within the fashion industry, and showcase your analytical skills. We want to see how you can bring value to our team!
Showcase Your Skills: Don’t forget to mention your proficiency with tools like Microsoft Excel, especially pivot tables and vlookups. If you've got experience with forecasting and demand planning, let us know! We love seeing candidates who can handle numbers and trends.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read through your qualifications and experiences. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the good stuff!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Universal Music
✨Know Your Merchandising Trends
Before the interview, dive deep into current merchandising trends in the music industry. Familiarise yourself with how eCommerce is evolving and what strategies successful companies are using. This will show your passion for the role and your understanding of the market.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've used data to drive decisions in previous roles. Be ready to talk about your experience with forecasting, demand planning, and how you’ve analysed product KPIs. Use numbers and results to back up your claims!
✨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Since this role involves collaboration with various teams, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Think about how you would explain complex ideas simply, especially when discussing stock levels or promotional strategies. Good communication can set you apart!
✨Be Proactive in Your Approach
Demonstrate your proactive nature by preparing suggestions for potential merchandising strategies or promotional activities based on your research. Showing initiative can impress interviewers and highlight your readiness to contribute from day one.