Senior Merchandiser | Retail | Clothing & Fashion | UAE

Job Requisition ID: 180217 

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. 

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

Overview Of The Role:

The Senior Merchandiser plays a key role in driving the commercial and merchandising strategy for the Fashion business. The role is responsible for delivering sales, cash margin, markdown and stock objectives through effective business planning, WSSI, OTB planning, range management and product selection. The position works closely with Buying, Retail Operations, Visual Merchandising, Marketing and E-commerce teams to maximize commercial opportunities, optimize inventory and ensure the right product is available in the right market at the right time. The role also involves leading and developing the merchandising team while building strong cross-functional and stakeholder relationships.

What You Will Do:

Business Planning & Commercial Performance

• Develop and execute the annual business plan for the Fashion business unit.
• Drive Sales, Cash Margin, Markdown Cost and Closing Stock performance in line with business objectives.
• Identify commercial opportunities to grow sales, improve margin and enhance overall business performance.
• Own and manage the WSSI, ensuring effective monitoring and corrective actions.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the business unit, customer, markets and competitive landscape.

Sales & OTB Planning

• Develop sales and margin plans by department, range, store and market.
• Manage OTB planning and investment to optimize sales, margin and inventory productivity.
• Plan appropriate space and stock levels across stores and channels.
• Balance Core, Fashion Flow and Fashion product investments.
• Support appropriate e-commerce buying and channel-specific requirements.

Range & Product Planning

• Develop balanced and commercially relevant product ranges across markets.
• Ensure strong Core availability while maintaining sufficient fashion newness.
• Manage size curves, colour balance, price architecture and product options according to market requirements.
• Ensure appropriate stock packages across markets and stores.
• Drive effective range balancing based on customer demand, market trends and commercial performance.

Product Selection & Buying

• Partner with Buying teams to deliver effective seasonal product selection and range planning.
• Provide strong commercial input into product selection and catalogue buying.
• Identify market opportunities and recommend appropriate product and range changes.
• Optimize spend and margin through effective buying and investment decisions.
• Ensure buying decisions are aligned with OTB, business plans and customer demand.

Trade, Allocation & Replenishment

• Lead weekly trade reviews and identify clear actions to maximize sales and margin opportunities.
• Develop and manage allocation and replenishment strategies by product type and market.
• Ensure effective first allocation and ongoing stock availability.
• Develop and manage promotional and markdown strategies to optimize sell-through and margin.
• Ensure seasonal stock is cleared at the optimum time while protecting exit margin.

Market & Customer Awareness

• Monitor competitor activity, pricing, trends and customer behaviour across key markets.
• Conduct regular competitor and market reviews to identify opportunities and risks.
• Use market insights to influence range, pricing and buying decisions.
• Conduct market visits and work closely with stores to understand customer and commercial opportunities.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the Fashion customer and evolving market trends.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with Buying, Retail Operations, Visual Merchandising, Marketing, E-commerce and Supply Chain teams.
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders to deliver business unit objectives.
• Communicate seasonal strategies, product priorities and commercial actions effectively.
• Ensure strong alignment between merchandising strategy and store execution.

Leading People

• Lead, coach and develop the merchandising team to deliver business objectives.
• Set clear objectives and provide regular feedback and development opportunities.
• Support succession planning and talent development in partnership with HR.
• Build a high-performing, engaged and collaborative team culture.

Required Skills To Be Successful:

• Strong commercial, analytical and numerical skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of Fashion merchandising, range planning, WSSI and OTB.
• Proven ability to manage sales, margin, markdown and stock performance.
• Strong product and fashion awareness with a customer-focused approach.
• Excellent planning, organization and decision-making skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to manage complexity and work effectively across multiple markets and functions.
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and retail planning/reporting tools.
• Knowledge of SAP or similar retail systems is an advantage.

What Qualifies You For The Role:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Fashion, Retail, Merchandising or an equivalent qualification.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Fashion Buying and Merchandising, preferably within a multi-market retail environment.
• Strong experience in WSSI, OTB, range planning, product selection, stock management and commercial trading.
• Experience managing sales, cash margin, markdown and closing stock targets.
• Experience in Fashion is preferred.
• Experience working across MENA markets is preferred, with exposure to international or European fashion brands an advantage.
• Proven experience in leading and developing merchandising teams.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel; SAP experience is an additional advantage.
• Willingness to travel across regional markets and internationally as required.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.
 
Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference…