PRODUCT MERCHANDISER

PRODUCT MERCHANDISER

 

 

Summary:

 

With the uncanny insight into customers’ wants and needs, the Product Merchandiser plans, directs, and implements the merchandise and product plans of assigned product categories within the COMPANY Catalogs and Websites to achieve the greatest financial return by performing the following duties personally or occasionally through subordinate personnel. The Product Merchandiser is the champion of new product introduction and existing product growth within the COMPANY catalogs and websites. He/she is highly encouraged to bring new business, marketing and merchandising concepts and ideas to the company. The Product Merchandiser must understand or be able to quickly comprehend analytical measurement and profitability verses space allocation, gross margin, selling price and package requirements.

 

Essential duties and responsibilities:

1. Researches, analyzes, and monitors demographic, market, financial, regulatory and technological factors so that product revenue opportunities may be capitalized on and the effects of competitive activity may be minimized.

2. Develops and executes marketing and merchandising plans and programs, both short and long range, to ensure share of market and the profitable growth and expansion of private label and vendor resale products as related to assigned product categories.

3. Conducts product marketing reviews and studies and identifies new products, concepts and market trends within the automotive and toy industries. Works closely with executive management on product direction.  Ensures effective control of the results and recommends and implements specific actions to be certain that the merchandising objectives are met.

4. Responsible for proposing to General Management catalog page spread space allocations for new and existing products and identifying the products features and benefits including projected profitability.

5. Researches, sources and launches new products, as well as programs to add value to existing products, in order to increase revenue and profitability of assigned product categories.

6. Responsible for the initial new vendor contact and negotiating product costs and terms for assigned lines.

7. Responsible for negotiating cost on new products with existing vendors for assigned lines.

8. Responsible for recommending purchase quantities of new products and assisting the General Manager in developing an annual unit and sales forecast of each new product.

9. Evaluates market reactions to merchandising programs and product packaging and formulation to ensure the timely adjustment of marketing strategy and plans to meet changing market and competitive conditions.

10.  Prepares merchandising activity reports and is responsible for analyzing revenues and profits of assigned product categories. Analyzes sales by catalog, category, spread, page and product including space analysis calculations.

11.  Responsible for the overall Gross Profit Margin (before sales discounts) of the assigned product categories. Develops and recommends pricing strategy within assigned product categories according to company GPM requirements and the competitive environment. Responsible for product mix planning and implementation to achieve the GPM.

12.  Reevaluates existing products by recommending the addition of new features or discontinues poor sellers.

13. Works cooperatively with Marketing Management to target new customers, launch new product lines and develop new market penetration strategies.

14. Works cooperatively with the Creative Department on the development and production activities (including pagination and page layout) of catalogs, various direct mail pieces, promotional materials and web sites. Responsible for the procurement of new product samples and assists the Creative Director during photography and to ensure technical accuracy of the final presentation image. Organizes and delivers accurate information on the benefits and features of products to the copywriter. Has final approval of all catalog, direct mail and promotion copy as relating to assigned product categories.

15. Works cooperatively with the Purchasing personal to maintain good vendor relations, negotiating cost reductions and improved terms of sale, ensuring product quality and in expansion/deletion of product lines.

16. Advises and assists the General Manager to maintain and exceed turnover objectives. Develops and implements with the General Manager return and liquidation programs for discontinued products.

17. Inspects on a regular basis exchanged or refunded products for quality or packaging problems.

18. Develops and manages Co-op Advertising budgets with assigned vendors.

19. Responsible for the correct data entry in the Catalog Master File for new products. Responsible for the accuracy of the Catalog Master File.

20. Responsible for providing accurate technical and sales literature to the Customer Service and providing initial new product training for both departments.

21. Responsible for general market research for assigned product lines including occasional customer visits, phone monitoring and attending market specific trade shows and events. Reads magazines, newsletters, journals and other sources of information for product and service ideas.

22. Works with customer service in developing sell-up and add-on product sales programs.

23. Other duties as assigned.

 

Supervisory responsibilities: On occasion may directly supervise 1 to 2 employees on a particular project or reoccurring task.  Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with COMPANYS policies. Responsibilities may include training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance and resolving problems.

 

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Education and experience: Bachelor's degree (B.A) in Business, Marketing or related discipline and three to five years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Computer efficiency in spreadsheet software and working knowledge of word processing and database software. Must have a working knowledge of the principals of catalog and direct mail space allocation, graphic design, and merchandising and sales promotion techniques. Skilled in Vendor negotiations.

 

Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.  Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from an individual or groups of employees, managers, customers and vendors.

 

Mathematical skills: Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of basic algebra. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent using spreadsheet programs and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Must have budgeting skills.

 

Technical skills:



Reasoning Ability: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

 

Physical demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

 

Travel: Office and to 10% travel including industry tradeshows, seminars and indoor and outdoor photography events.

Performance reviews: To occur every 12 months and based upon mutually agreed upon goals and objectives. Self review to include development of gross margin and revenue calculations.

 

 If you are the right candidate, we can offer you an exciting work environment in a talent based organization with competitive compensation.

For consideration of your application, please submit your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via email as an attached Microsoft Word document to ~

lbrey@wsiemail.com

Only those candidates whose profiles and background closely match the above listed requirements will be contacted during this search.

No third party or telephone calls please.