Merchandise Assistant

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Merchandise Assistant

Role Overview:

The Merchandise Assistant (MA) plays a key role within the Merchandising function, providing vital support to the Merchandising team to achieve optimum efficiency and to deliver the department plan on customer, sales, and profit.

The Merchandise Assistant assists the department with day-to-day tasks such as updating supplier order books, booking in stock, managing problem orders and actioning stock movements, ensuring the correct stock is in the right place at the right time to maximise profitability across all channels.

Responsibilities:

Order:

Support with size ratio of lines on smaller brands, with AM guidance.

Create purchase orders via upload and check all details are accurate prior to sending to supplier

Reconcile supplier order books and communicate all anomalies.

Stock:

Update supplier order books and ETA reports on the system.

Book in product as directed by the Merchandiser.

Liaise and be first point of contact with the warehouse around delivery issues and problem orders.

Cost and retail checks on orders booked into the warehouse in conjunction with the Assistant Merchandiser.

Scheduling (initial allocation) checks

Trade:

Print and run key reporting for Monday trade meetings.

Develop awareness of product area through analysis of reports and store visits.

Maximise best sellers through the review of ideal stock levels.

Action stock movements, including IBTs, in conjunction with the Assistant Merchandiser.

Collate and check weekly price amendments.

Follow up on feedback from Retail and Branch Merchandising to support the stores.

Review new store performance, suggesting actions to the team

Complete marketing requests

Ad-hoc reports and analysis for the team as required.

Establish collaborative working relationships within teams across functions.

Role objectives and KPIs:

Key objective is to support the Merchandising team to effectively deliver departmental goals and KPIs - sales, profit and stock - across all channels (stores and digital).

Competencies:

2.1 Working with People 3.1 Relating and Networking 4.1 Writing and Reporting 5.1 Learning and Researching 6.3 Following Instructions and Procedures

Skills and experience:

Analytical

Keen eye for detail and ability to accurately enter and check data.

Enthusiastic about JD, its brands and customer.

Basic knowledge of Excel.

Good communicator able to build relationships with stakeholders and to work across teams.

Able to take ownership of work and use initiative to deliver on key responsibilities.

Good teamwork skills, being able to work collaboratively to reach a common goal, sharing information and supporting colleagues.

Positive, flexible, and responsive to business needs.

Curious with a continuous learning mindset.

Training requirements for the role:

GUI

Shogun

Basic Excel

Basic trade knowledge

Size ratios - ratio tool

Purchase order creation process - PO upload

PLM (Own Brand only)

Planner (Planogram)

Basic range plan knowledge

Reconcile process

Cost & retail checks

Scheduling checks & scheduling tool

Weekly divisional price changes

New line / top line pushes

Reporting tools - Thoughtspot / Portal

Merchandising SharePoint site

Good knowledge of trade actions

Orderbook & bookings process

Selektron

Cost prices & invoice tool

Store visits

New store reviews

Ideal management tool

Sales Analysis

Training is on-the-job shadowing supported by online resources. Where relevant, face to face training on key tools, systems or processes will be arranged.