R.G. Barry Corporation
Director, Merchandising
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Description
The Director of Merchandising is responsible for defining and executing the product and assortment strategy for Dearfoams, ensuring alignment with brand positioning, consumer needs, and financial objectives.
This role owns the end-to-end merchandising lifecycle—from line architecture and product strategy to in-market performance—and serves as the critical link between Design, Product Development, Sales, and Marketing.
The position plays a key role in transforming Dearfoams into a year-round comfort lifestyle brand, ensuring assortments are differentiated, commercially viable, and channel-relevant.
Specific Responsibilities
- Defines and leads the seasonal merchandising vision and product strategy across core and expansion categories (slippers, casual footwear, Fireside, sandals, etc.)
- Develops line plans and assortment architecture that reflect clear segmentation (good/better/best) and pricing strategy by channel
- Ensures the line delivers meaningful newness and innovation, not incremental updates
- Establishes clear product differentiation aligned to brand positioning
- Partners with Sales to build customer-relevant assortments that drive revenue and margin growth
- Aligns product strategies to key accounts (Walmart, Target, Amazon, Nordstrom, etc.) while maintaining brand integrity
- Owns performance metrics including: Revenue and margin targets; AUR and pricing strategy; sell-through and SKU productivity
- Identifies risks and opportunities relative to AOP and drives actions to close gaps
- Partners closely with Design and Product Development to ensure: Trend-right and consumer-relevant product; clear differentiation vs. competitors; on-time execution aligned to GTM calendars
- Ensures all product initiatives (materials, technologies, innovations) are fully developed, commercialized, and ready for market
- Translates consumer insights into actionable merchandising decisions
- Maintains strong awareness of: Competitive landscape (UGG, Bearpaw, private label, Amazon 3P); pricing dynamics and value perception; market trends vs. over-indexing on non-core aesthetics
- Ensures product is built for real customers and channels, not aspirational or misaligned targets
- Leads and develops a high-performing merchandising team with clear accountability and ownership
- Drives discipline in: Line reviews and product gates; SKU rationalization; post-season hindsight and learnings
- Identifies and resolves breakdowns in the product creation process, including: Trend misses; misaligned assortments; lack of readiness on key initiatives
- Implements best-in-class merchandising processes across planning and execution
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Requirements
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- Requires a minimum of bachelor’s degree with 8-12+ years of experience in merchandising or equivalent experience.
- Proven track record of driving P&L-focused assortment strategies.
- Strong understanding of multi-channel retail (mass, digital, specialty).
- Experience partnering cross-functionally across Design, Sales, Marketing, and Operations.
- Demonstrated ability to balance brand building with commercial performance.
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
- Excellent communication and leadership capabilities.
- Ability to build strong internal and external relationships and partner collaboratively.
- Experience with Microsoft Suite and Artificial Intelligence Tools is a plus.
- Alignment with RG Barry’s values of trust, ambition, inclusion, creativity, responsibility, and teamwork.
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