V&C
Merchandise Manager

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V&C Associates is proud to be partnering with a long-established British luxury Apparel house based in the Midlands — now embarking on an ambitious phase of global growth.
This isn't a seat in a team that already exists. It's the opportunity to build the merchandising function from scratch, reporting directly to the CEO, and write the playbook the business will run on for years to come.
As Merchandise Manager you'll own merchandising, inventory management, forecasting and category planning across both own-brand and third-party ranges. The remit is to lift stock productivity, margin and commercial decision-making, and to put in place the disciplines that allow a heritage business to scale with confidence — a rare chance to leave a lasting mark on a storied name.
What you'll be doing
- Building annual, seasonal and category merchandise plans, forecasts and replenishment strategies
- Managing inventory investment to balance availability, profitability and working capital
- Interrogating sales, margin, sell-through, stock turn, ageing, cover and category performance
- Underpinning buying with range planning, assortment analysis, demand forecasting and open-to-buy control
- Overseeing supplier performance, production schedules, lead times and delivery risk
- Creating reporting and dashboards that turn data into practical commercial action
- Finding the wins in aged stock reduction, margin improvement and category profitability
- Embedding best-practice merchandising processes across the business
- Feeding commercial insight into product development, marketing, retail and ecommerce
- Supporting launches, category development, channel growth and wider expansion
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What we're looking for
- Around 7–10+ years in merchandising, commercial planning, buying or inventory management
- A track record in forecasting, stock control and improving inventory productivity
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, with advanced Excel
- Exposure to both own-brand and third-party product
- Comfortable in ERP and reporting environments; NetSuite an advantage
- Able to build and run a WSSI
- Credible with senior stakeholders, and willing to challenge constructively using data
- Background in apparel, footwear, accessories, retail, ecommerce or consumer goods; luxury experience is not a prerequisite
- Experience of international supply and longer production lead times would be useful


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The person
Commercially minded, highly analytical and self-starting — equally comfortable in the detail and at strategic level. Someone who enjoys building process, driving performance, and helping a growing business scale without compromising the quality and integrity behind the name.
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