Merchandising Officer / Buyer - IT Category

Job Description

About the Role: The Merchandising Officer is responsible to lead, strategize, monitor and report on Category performance (sales, margin, stock holding, Market Share etc) and flow objectives under the guidance of Category Head/Merchandising Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for budgeting, forecasting, making category level strategy and achieving Sales and Margin targets assigned to a particular category.
• Lead negotiations on annual contract terms with suppliers to maximize benefits for both Sharaf DG and the suppliers including margins, pricing and volumes, product range, MSL, returns and replenishments, payment terms etc.
• Work closely with stores to ensure a healthily store level sales and Profit and maintaining healthy inventory at each store.
• Keep up to date with latest retail and category trends about new and innovative products and ways of displaying products.
• To have a close eye on each competition, making counter strategies to gain market share YOY/ MOM/ WOW.
• Work Closely with Marketing team to create marketing strategy for own category and provide all necessary inputs to marketing for respective category.
• Ensure category liaison with key internal interfaces such Product Registration, Vendor Co-ordination, finance reconciliations for category, Brand level reconciliation for respective category, and Store teams to ensure category processes and procedures are implemented effectively.
• Oversee management of all supplier reconciliation, rebates disputes.
• Ensure optimum category inventory levels are maintained keeping in mind store requirements as well as working capital constraints, OTB management.
• Monitor and make recommendations for customer product needs, preferences based on internal survey data and GFK data, and change Product range/ buying patterns within category.
• Making weekly/ Monthly category level promotional plans.
• Ensure planograms and assortment are up to date and making timely clearance plan for Ageing and EOL inventory.
• Ensure effective in season management of the assigned category/department through regular analysis and action plan based on the performance around the following anchors: sales vs. Stock, stock analysis, stock balancing, margin analysis.
• Oversee management of organization training needs for training provided by suppliers for new products.
• GMROF (Gross margin return on Footage) and GMROI (Gross Margin Return on Inventory) – Achieving yearly targets and benchmarks as well as Defining strategies to improve the GMROF and GMROI.
• Competition analysis – review and analyze competition offers compared to SDG offers. Suggest improvements based on the analysis.

Qualifications:

• Experience (Yrs & Field): 3 years + in Category Management in Retail Industry preferably in Electronics industry.
• Educational Qualification: Post Graduate.
• Professional Certifications: MBA in Sales and Marketing is desirable.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in buying and procurement, specifically within the Information Technology product management sector.
• Demonstrated expertise in negotiation and category management, with a track record of achieving favorable outcomes.
• Exceptional planning and organizing skills, capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Proficiency in using purchasing support systems and tools.