Associate Merchant

Description

Your Role:

The Associate Merchant is responsible for directly supporting senior merchandising team members & a category of business to develop product plans in accordance with the season's strategy in a specific product category for the stores and digital channel. They may assume increased responsibility for merchandise category to deliver or exceed volume and profit goals. This position researches customer trends, product history, competitive intelligence, fashion trends, and analyzes sales.

Why You Belong Here:

At Victoria's Secret, we acknowledge your value. We recognize that every associate has something unique to add to our brand and business. We strive to recruit, retain, and advance diverse talent that reflects the customers we serve and the communities where we live and work. We foster a culture where everyone belongs because we know our business thrives most when we look for, listen to, and amplify diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We place the customer at the heart of everything we do. We dream big, embrace curiosity and creativity while always learning from our mistakes. We lead with integrity, trust, and respect to achieve the best outcomes as one team.

Your Impact:

System Management & Execution

• Accountable for accuracy of product detail through excellent execution and management of assortment documentation and communication, with emphasis on MAT tool execution

Customer

• Consistently demonstrate an ability to turn Customer insight into actionable recommendations as it relates to assortment strategy

• Be the voice of the customer through store visits/travel, market distortions, and new product launches

• Be in or communicating with stores on a weekly basis to gain customer feedback and business insights

• Understand the customer's lifestyle by staying on top of trends, social media, and pop culture as it specifically relates to the customer

• Utilize customer insights to support the evolution of the product to continue to build an emotional connection with the customer

• Lead competitive patterning (i.e., focus groups, share of drawer, campus visits, etc.) in order to understand the current competition/market trends and influence product strategy while making business recommendations

Product

• Consistently demonstrate an ability to turn product insight into actionable recommendations as it relates to assortment strategy and influence the evolution of potential new categories to fill customer's needs

• Lead key meeting prep with sample availability, style & color ranking, deck preparation, and ad hoc requests and analysis, always staying agile and flexible

• Responsible for ongoing trend analysis and reporting, inclusive of competitive landscape & competitive patterning

Support ideation and execution of a robust testing agenda to identify and unlock future growth opportunities

Financial

• Understand financial parameters and applications needed to drive category results

• Leverage and analyze core financial reporting tools necessary to read and provide business insights (i.e. color report, placemats)

• Providing style and collection level insights as to what is working and not working within the assortment and propose actions based on insights

• Understanding and bringing attention to channel-specific selling nuances within the assortment

• Remain curious about category financials and performance while seeking to understand and apply metrics in regards to product performance

• Partners with Merchandise Planning on seasonal category strategies

Collaboration & Relationship-Building

• Lead and demonstrate strong cross-functional partnerships with clear and accurate communication while demonstrating company values

• Actively participate in weekly cross functional meetings and calls

• Relationship building by demonstrating corporate culture & values of inclusivity, open-mindedness, collaboration, and positive intent

• Lead and demonstrate company values of Love the Customer, Passion with Purpose, Better Together, DEI is Everything

• Consistently react with urgency while comprehending overall strategy

Talent

• Identify and regularly meet with an internal mentor

• Responsible for driving own development plan in partnership with leader

• Actively seek and take action on feedback from all levels to enable growth and development in role

• Actively participates in the selection, on-boarding and development of Assistant Merchants

• May indirectly supervise and coach the Assistant Merchant to achieve performance objectives

Click here for benefit details related to this position.

Minimum Salary: $71,500.00

Maximum Salary: $94,500.00

VS&Co provides a range of compensation for this role as shown. Your actual salary will be determined by a number of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic region, or other relevant factors.

Qualifications

Your Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business Administration or relevant area
• 2-4 years of experience in merchandising or relevant experience

Additional Preferred Experience:

• Strong understanding of vertically integrated retail operations

• Broad-based business acumen with the potential to grow to the Merchant level

• High intelligence with a true entrepreneurial risk mentality, strong analytical and strategic thinking skills

• Acute sense of brand and customer intimacy

• Acute fashion sense with proven talent to envision and interpret fashion trends

• Proficient in conflict management and problem-solving

• Exceptional ability to bridge and enhance cooperative working relationships

• Strong organizational skills

• Ability to multi-task and prioritize

• Demonstrated ability in communication, presentation, negotiating and influencing skills

• Ability to lead and inspire with unquestionable integrity and trust

• Systems and computer proficiency (MS Office, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel)

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not make employment decisions based on an individual's race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, protected Veteran status or any other legally protected status, and we comply with all laws concerning non-discriminatory employment practices. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for associates and job applicants with disabilities. We only hire individuals authorized for employment in the United States.