Retail Merchandising Specialist

Position Summary

The Retail Merchandising Specialist is responsible for developing and executing merchandising strategies for all of Ashley Enterprise which consists of two key business units, Ashley Global Retail and Ashley Licensees. This role is a blend of sales development, strategic planning, administrative enhancement, and cross-functional coordination. In addition, this role will assist in ensuring the placement of merchandise, point of purchase, and floor samples are accurate, and our inventory levels are optimized. The ideal candidate will possess both analytical and creative capabilities with strong organizational skills.

Key Responsibilities

Outlined below are the core summary of responsibilities represented in two buckets: Tactical and Sales Development Administrative tasks. This role is designed to meet the needs of the business with the intent of actively participating in retail events, meetings, shows, and store/DC visits. It requires working closely with the customers Retail Merchandising Manager on the Ashley Merchandising Team.

Tactical Execution:

- Merchandising – Owner of floor plans, layouts, product displays, general merchandising plans and signage to align with brand guidelines and national promotions.- -- - Floor Samples – Works closely with field door team to obtain, track, and summarizes primary data for all Ashley Global Retail floors.

 - In-Store Execution – Tracks, orders, and maintains in-store standards pertaining to brand walls, headboards, inserts, foot protectors, accessory displays, and demo units.

- Brand Protection – Works closely with Sr. Customer Marketing Manager to ensure all brand standards are being implemented, tracked, and addressed to prevent violations both in-store and on-line.

 - Secret Shops – Works closely with AGR National Account Manager and Sr. Key Account Manager of Licensees to identify doors to be shopped. Curates and summarizes results and shares out accordingly while measuring effectiveness of shops using tenable analytical measures.

-  Launch Execution – Works both internally and externally to align launch strategies while ensuring product launch waves are being met and all support materials are being implemented in-full and on-time. Coordinate to execute merchandising resets, new product rollouts, and promotional events.

 -  Market Share Trends – Works closely with Business Intelligence Manager to provide recommendations to develop merchandising strategies that drive product performance and profitability based on sales data.

 -  Pricing – Responsible for all pricing catalogs and price models as it pertains to our portfolio of brands. Will own and maintain all pricing files both internally and externally. This includes everyday pricing and promotional periods.

 - Logistics Support – Work cross-functionally to help support returns, delayed deliveries, missing product, and order management issues.

Sales Development & Administrative Execution:

 - Door Calls – Compile, track, assess and summarize all AGR door team visit reporting as well as manage their calendar.

 - Newsletters & Field Communications – Coordinate, create and communicate monthly newsletters for both AGR and the Licensee Network.

 - New Product Set-Up Forms – Ensure all merchandise is properly set-up and featured correctly per the directives of our customer. This includes all products featured on-line and in-store.

 -  Store Opening/Closing Tracker – Communicate any store openings or closings to our leadership team on a weekly basis. Arrange alignment between both business partners on how best to support grand openings.

 -  Product Detail – Serve as the team’s subject-matter-expert (SME) on all merchandising specs, dimensions, pricing, ordering requirements for our entire brand portfolio.

 - SharePoint – Full control and management of our internal centralized library of content that allows both our team and the field time to manage the business.

Qualifications

 Education: Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Marketing, Analytics Business Administration, or a related field preferred.

Experience: Minimum 3 years in retail merchandising. Candidate will preferably have experience within the home furnishings or bedding industry.

Skills: The ideal candidate will be a master of time management and can multi-task while ensuring all deadlines are met. Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, OneNote, Word, PowerPoint). Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data and market trends. Effective communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with internal and external partners. Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Other Requirements

 Travel: The ideal candidate will be able to travel 40% each month to assist the National Account Director within the United States.

 Must work well with a team in a dynamic fast paced environment.

$65,000 to $95,000