Hire a Merchandising Manager
What catches your eye when you pass by a store? When you are wandering at the mall and suddenly stop at a decorative sign, do you glance at the clothes beside it? How about a great discount for that high-end perfume that you’ve been eyeing? These are just some thoughts that run through the mind of a merchandising manager.
Merchandising managers are organized, analytical thinkers with a creative eye. We may not realize it, but they are the brains behind each product’s performance in the retail space. Their job is to identify a customer’s need and find a product to fulfill it. The right product sold to the right consumer at the perfect time is an opportunity that merchandising managers target. They also think about other factors that may influence a consumer’s decision to purchase a product. Multiplying that across many product lines is a challenge that merchandising managers embrace.
Creating a job description that is inviting and straightforward helps recruiters attract the best candidates for merchandising manager. Considered the first point of communication between the hiring business and candidates, a job description is important. More than informing candidates about a vacant position, a well-written job description can encourage applicants to submit their resumes.
Merchandising Manager Responsibilities
Merchandising managers have a hand in many key aspects of retail. They are decision-makers in many areas, including: merchandise stocking, pricing, promotion, and presentation. To gain a clear understanding of the target market, they gather market data involving consumer behaviors, trends, and product reactions. From the data analysis, they then derive merchandise strategies for implementation.
Merchandising managers identify stores to partner with and take charge of negotiating prices, location within the space, and other factors. To gain traction and customer interest, merchandising managers plan product displays, positioning, and presentation that align with the brand campaign. They monitor the product’s performance, sales records, and inventory movement. Together with the management team, merchandising managers introduce promotions, discounts, sales, and other new campaigns and strategies. Lastly, merchandising managers prepare and present reports to the management team and think of ways to improve sales targets.
Merchandising Manager Skills and Qualifications
Interested candidates who wish to apply as a merchandising manager must have completed a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business management, or a related field. Solid work experience as a merchandising manager in the retail space is typically required. Proficiency in operating MS Office applications, inventory management software, and other industry-specific tools are beneficial.
To excel as a merchandising manager, candidates must have excellent analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Being able to understand best practices, market trends, and consumer behaviors is key. Because merchandising managers manage merchandisers and accomplish different responsibilities, the ability to manage time well and organize tasks is part of the job. Additionally, communication and interpersonal skills help interactions with other team members, suppliers, retailers, and other stakeholders. Lastly, candidates need to have the necessary leadership and management skills to encourage merchandisers to achieve team targets.
