Merchandiser - 12 months Maternity Cover

We’re the feel-good fashion brand making style accessible and fun for over 55 years, on our website, mobile app and over 300 stores in the UK. By living our values - we play to win, customer obsessed, we are one and it starts with me - we deliver That New Look Feeling for our customers and each other. The Role: As a Merchandiser at New Look, you will drive sales and profit by planning and managing product ranges across your department. You will analyse trading performance, forecast demand and make key decisions on stock levels, intake and pricing to ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time. Working closely with Buying and cross-functional teams, you will balance commercial strategy with customer trends, reacting quickly to trade while managing critical paths and optimising availability across stores and online. WHATS IN IT FOR YOU: 40% staff discount plus friends & family discounts throughout the year Access to our reward platform for external discount and offers Private pension scheme Virtual GP access for you and your children – it allows you to speak to a doctor at a time and date that suits you All employees are covered by our life assurance policy from day one Unlock extra leave with our buy more holiday scheme. Celebrate YOU! Enjoy an extra paid day off on your birthday each year Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave, and shared parental leave (Eligible after 2 years’ service) Spread the cost of your commute with interest-free season ticket loans Do your bit for the environment and save money with our Cycle2Work scheme We're proud to partner with the Retail Trust and Fashion & Textile Children's Trust What you’ll be doing: Achieving department KPI’s in line with strategy and department plan, maximising sales and profit Reviewing the category Weekly Sales and Stock Intake (WSSI), coordinating action to maximise profitability of the department and reduce risks Contributing to range development by ensuring the Product reflects the Brand strategy Responsible for preparation and presentation of range sign offs in line with department / strategy and customer requirements Reviewing and monitoring range plans regularly with the Buyer to reflect changing sales / trends in order to maximise profits Reviewing depth and width to optimise availability and minimise markdown risk Applying in-depth knowledge of the current competitive market place and using this to develop the departmental strategy and Merchandising framework (comparative shopping) Maintaining a focused, reliable supply base in order to maximise profit Ensuring in-season activity delivers planned sales, margin and terminal stock targets Analysing data, identifying issues and trends, interpreting results to provide sound recommendations to protect / maximise profit Managing the weekly product sign-off process, including awareness of impact on Open to Buy (OTB), flexibility and margin Reviewing current sales with the Buyer, reacting appropriately to maximise sales opportunity Who you are: Strong trading and sales analysis, using data to drive decisions Advanced forecasting and demand planning experience Ownership of department strategy, aligning to business and financial goals Stock management and intake planning to optimise availability and minimise risk Commercial awareness with strong understanding of pricing, margin and profit drivers Ability to lead, manage and mentor a small team to deliver results Confident in reviewing KPIs, building reports and using Excel to influence decisions Working collaboratively with Buying and wider teams across the business Why New Look? We care about you and the planet and believe fashion should be a force for positive change. We celebrate inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We’re proud of our inclusive culture and our talented team members who embrace our shared purpose, behaviours and values. We prioritise development, offering training to support your progression, so you can be your absolute best and achieve your goals. We pride ourselves on being a flexible employer, our colleagues work a range of patterns. If you have a specific pattern in mind, we're keen to discuss this with you in line with the output needed for the role. Please ensure that your CV is in simple format e.g. Microsoft Word when applying using your CV to ensure smooth application process.