Category Head - General Merchandise - Retail

Category Head General Merchandise

Job purpose:

Responsible for maximizing top-line and bottom-line for their Specific Category. Driving business growth and market Share of the specific category with strong product, competition and consumer analytics, contributes in development of periodic financial plans and Projections, contributes in the product communication development on the site, creation and execution of the Sales and Promotion Plans.

Primary responsibilities:

- Execute the merchandising buying strategy for the category to ensure timely availability of high quality products

- Preparing the yearly and quarterly purchase plan and getting the same approved

- Define quality parameters, terms of dealing for different products to ensure best deals for the organization

- Co-ordinate with planning team and decide on products and SKU to purchase and quantity to be purchased

- Design systems and processes to monitor progress against set plans and targets

- Continuously monitor the sales data to modify purchase plan to ensure minimum inventory with 0% stock outs for the organization

- Responsible for ensuring timely availability of all SKU's as per the agreed plan and quality standards

- Monitor quality of all input materials and ensure they adhere to quality standards of the organization

- Rate the vendors based on delivery, quality etc. and access vendor base continuously to remove non-performing vendors

- Coordinate with internal teams to ensure timely arrival of merchandise and settlement of vendor dues

- Coordinate with supply chain and retail operations to ensure material reaches warehouses in time and are of set quality standards

- Lead the discussion on vendor evaluation for the category along with other departments to ensure transparent process

- Co-ordinate with marketing team to support in any marketing activities for the category

- Delivering weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual - revenue, margin and markdown targets

- Contributes in development of range architecture based on consumer segment insights, regional requirements, marketplace knowledge, and competitive data (both online and offline retail)

- Provides timely information on consumer insights and sale rates to sourcing team, to enable them buy better.

- Contributes in creation of sales plans and completely owns up the execution of the same to maximize sell-thrus of the inventory made available to sell.

- Monitoring product lifecycle of every product in the category and take early calls for opportunity maximization

- Executes inter-category / intra-category events and sales promotions.

- Ensures that the product placed on site is relevant to category, features and USP well explained to the viewer in simple customer centric language, product is well packaged to attract and excite customers.

- Conversion and basket size maximization and target achievement.

- Monitors the last mile, i.e., logistics from DC/ Vendor to end customer is timely and as per order.

- Engage with finance department to sort out any tax related issues from the vendor's side

- Scout and develop new vendors to reduce the cost of merchandise for the organization while maintaining the quality

- Identify new vendors and markets for purchase to ensure market competitiveness for the organization in terms of design and price in the category

- Training and developing competencies of all employees

- Maintain effective relationship with managers and officers within the function ensure teamwork with related functions

- Ensure that staff are developed, trained, motivated, evaluated for job performance and compensated fairly

Education:

- Minimum qualification Graduation / diploma Retail management. An MBA or PG will often give a category head candidate an edge, particularly if the field of study is in merchandising or retail management.

Key Skills and Attributes:

- Excellent analytical, prioritizing, vendor management and decision making skills.

- Highly developed oral and written communication, influencing, people management and negotiation skills.

- Ability to work with and manage the internal and external stakeholders.

- Collaborates with cross-functional internal partners to execute the brand vision with a customer centric approach.

- A thorough understanding of retail insights is essential.

- Preferred prior experience in handling end-to-end operation for the particular category.