About ECCO: Are you passionate about fashion and eager to play a pivotal role in shaping the success of a global brand? ECCO, a leader in premium footwear, is on a mission to become the world's most desired footwear brand. We’re looking for a dynamic Merchandising Strategist to drive our product strategy across the UK and Ireland markets.
Role Overview: As the Merchandising Strategist, you will be at the heart of ECCO’s product and brand positioning in the UK and Ireland. Your mission is to maximise commercial success by curating and implementing targeted merchandising strategies that drive sales growth, optimise margins, and enhance overall profitability.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Collection Management:

• Develop and implement tailored merchandising packages for the UK and Ireland, aligned with market demands, customer segmentation, product tiering, and channel strategies (Retail & Wholesale).
• Lead the creation of product buy-proposals for ECCO Stores and Wholesale, integrating customer insights, marketing initiatives, merchandising narratives, and phased product rollouts.
• Conduct in-depth competitor and market analyses to inform pricing strategies, trend forecasting, and product briefings.
• Define and analyse go-to-market collections, ensuring alignment with regional needs and global strategy.
• Monitor and communicate market-specific product performance, identifying seasonal best-sellers and areas for improvement.
• Develop impactful market tools and resources to support merchandising initiatives.

Collaborative Support Functions:

• Craft and manage seasonal documentation, including visual collection management tools, product presentations, and detailed collection overviews.
• Build and maintain detailed Excel reports to track and analyse sales performance, product trends, and inventory levels.
• Utilise Anaplan for forecasting, planning, and optimizing merchandising strategies.
• Partner with the General Manager & our Allocator to develop and update strategic seasonal plans, including:
• 2-Year Strategic Plan
• Detailed Category Plan
• Seasonal Sales & Product Plan
• UK/Ireland Product Overview
• Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure seamless operational execution across both markets.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience in merchandising, ideally within the fashion or retail sectors.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret market data and translate it into actionable strategies.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel for report building and data analysis.
• Familiarity with Anaplan or similar planning tools is a plus.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Proficiency in creating and maintaining detailed seasonal plans and merchandising documents.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders.

Why Join ECCO?

• Be part of a global brand that’s passionate about innovation and sustainability.
• Work in a collaborative and inclusive environment.
• Enjoy a hybrid work model that offers flexibility.

Reporting to: General Manager, UK & Ireland
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:

• Bike to work scheme
• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Sick pay
• Store discount

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• Merchandising: 1 year (preferred)

Work authorisation:

• Ireland (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Blarney Business Park, Blarney, CO. Cork
Expected start date: 07/10/2024