Vice President of Merchandising --Job Profile and Description
Reporting to the Executive Vice President of Merchandising, this officer level position plays a crucial role in overseeing multiple categories while developing and executing Havertys Furniture merchandising strategy. The primary goal in this position is to drive sales by ensuring the right home furnishing products are available at the right time and place. You will create successful product assortments and provide strategic inventory planning and partnership to ensure that our product strategy aligns seamlessly with Havertys financial goals. The VP (Vice President) of Merchandising will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including merchandising, supply chain, marketing, and store operations.
Primary Responsibility
The Vice President of Merchandising plays a crucial role in overseeing various aspects of the business including:
Product Line Development & Category Management: Create and manage product lines across Havertys collection of home furnishings to align product offering to the current and future needs of our customers by formulating comprehensive strategies for both long-term and short-term objectives.
Assortment Planning: Plan and execute product assortment for different channels (e.g., brick-and-mortar, e-commerce).
Pricing Strategy: Determine pricing strategies based on market dynamics, cost structures, and competitive positioning while meeting margin requirements.
Inventory Management: Work directly with vendor partners to secure unit capacity and address in-stock challenges and/or procurement constraints by monitoring inventory turn, margin, and assortment planning and availability.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with teams such as finance, marketing, supply chain, and store operations.
Visual Merchandising: Collaborate with visual merchandisers and the store planning team to create appealing in-store displays.
Sales Analysis: Drive and execute product assortment strategies to deliver sales and margin forecasts; continuously analyze sales data and adjust strategies accordingly. Develop exit strategies for non-productive inventory to maximize GMROI.
Promotions and Seasonal Campaigns: Collaborate with marketing to develop strategies for seasonal promotions and sales events.
Market Analysis: Analyze market trends, consumer behavior, and competitor activities to identify opportunities and assortment gaps, and adapt to shifting trends. Attend seasonal markets and tradeshows with merchandising team.
Financial leadership: Lead weekly/monthly financial review and analyze trends, issues, and opportunities to identify corrective actions necessary to maximize sales goals.
Forecasting: Partners with supply chain to effectively forecast category and replenishment buys to ensure the best in-stock levels.
Vendor Relations: Maintain positive relationships with suppliers, negotiate terms, and evaluate new vendors based on business needs.
Job Requirements
We Value:
Business sensibility to identify and capitalize on current trends and incorporate them into short and long-term merchandising plans.
Proven successful leadership of large-scale merchandise design, procurement, manufacturing, and delivery across multiple retail categories.
Brand awareness and customer experience.
Ability to lead, coach, inspire and develop team members.
Executive presence as demonstrated through excellent oral and written communication skills and proven experience interacting with senior leadership.
Agility and ability to pivot easily when directions and priorities change.
Demonstrated high-level performance under strong demands in a fast-paced environment.
Consistent professional behavior in situations with escalated employee/vendor/customer issues or inquiries.
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in merchandising, business administration, or related field.
Experience: 10+ years of leadership experience in retail merchandising, preferably in home furnishings for a top 100 retail brand.
Analytical Skills: Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret and make informed decisions using data visualization software and business intelligence reporting.
Communication and Leadership: Executive-level communication and leadership skills are necessary to collaborate with cross-functional teams and lead the Merchandising department effectively.
Technical Skills: Ability to use PIM system, work management tools, and create executive-level presentations.
Travel: Domestic and international travel as needed.
Disclaimer
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by this team member. They will be required to follow any other instructions and perform any other duties at their supervisor's request.
Havertys is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Havertys does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, veteran status, or an