Company profile

Our client is an international retailer present and operating Point of Sales throughout the Asia region.

In Asia, our Luxury, Fashion & Accessories category (Ready To Wear, Travel accessories, Leather goods, Eyewear, Watches & Jewelry...) is fast expanding with mono-brand and multi-brand fashion retail boutiques in Hong Kong, China, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Our brands portfolio includes famous international premium and luxury fashion & accessories brands from Europe, the USA. The assortment focusing primarily on accessories and RTW.

Today, in order to cope with this fast expansion, they are looking for their Luxury Fashion & Accessories Merchandising Manager Asia, based in Singapore.

Objectives and responsibilities

• Based in : Singapore / Singapore
• Contract : 08/2019 - permanent

Reporting directly to the VP Asia, you will be part of the regional buying team headquartered in Singapore and lead a team of direct reports up to 5 people.

You are ultimately responsible for driving the development and implementation of the seasonal ranges through selection and negotiation with the brands in accordance with the defined business strategies and marketing plans, ensuring sustainable and profitable growth within the region.

1) Merchandising and Buying:

• Lead and monitor your Buying team
• Work with the VP Asia to define merchandising strategy, identify growth opportunities and set action plans for each season
• Manage product selection and negotiate vendor promotional support, with a focus on efficiency, accuracy and punctuality of both OTB and replenishment ordering
• Monitor and optimize the implementation of each collection, devise end-of-season exit strategy, communicate vendor discount calendars to operations teams
• Ensure alignment between budgets, buying plans and purchasing amounts
• Secure continuity of processes between brands, procurement, logistics, operations & finance functions

2) Sell-through Management:

• Prepare weekly & monthly performance reporting and set-up relevant action plans in coordination with operations teams
• Monitor collection sell-through during the season, perform regular store surveys and interaction with operations teams to understand customer feedback
• Coordinate among vendors, procurement, logistics and operations to ensure the timely delivery of new products and replenishment
• Collaborate closely with vendors to exchange feedback on merchandising and obtain necessary sales support including training, marketing, VM and other incentives
• Work closely with Inventory Planner to identify and take action on fast-mover replenishment, low-stock mitigation, slow-mover disposal and aged stock liquidation

3) Market Intelligence:

• Compile and analyze internal and external data to improve business performance and guide commercial strategy
• Carry out regular market studies and competitor analysis (market trends, customer behaviors, pricing, in store activities, etc.) in the Domestic and TR market
• Maintain competitive intelligence database

Function skills : marketing ( collection merchandising ) retail store ( buyer - visual merchandiser )

Product skills : fashion accessories ( eye glasses - silk, printed textile (scarves, ties, etc.) - small leather goods, belts - shoes - handbags, travel bags ) fashion textile ( men - women )

Product category : Luxury

Business sectors : distribution / retail ( travel retail & duty free )

Your profile

• You have at least 10 years of experience in buying or merchandising functions for Fashion apparels & Fashion Accessories in international brands or retailers, focusing on Lifestyle premium or luxury segments
• You have experience either in domestic retail or travel retail channels, with a solid expertise of the China market and ideally strong understanding of Asia markets
• You have buying experience with either the categories ready to wear (women, men's); fashion accessories (handbags, travel bags, shoes, small leather goods, belts, silk, printed textile, watches, etc.)
• You have developed (via studying or working abroad) a natural international curiosity, an international cultural intelligence and truly enjoy working or interact with international parties (multicultural team (internal), international travel retail team from brands (external) and customers coming from all around Asia and beyond
• You must have a proven experience in handling selection autonomously and buying of collection at show room sales sessions
• You are organized with hands-on approach and ability to manage multi-brands portfolio
• You combine excellent communication and negotiation skills with solid data analysis
• You enjoy working in a fast-paced environment; you have the ambition to grow within our group
• You have genuine passion for fashion
• You are willing to travel at least 50% of your time (including buying trips to HK and Europe for extended period up to 2 weeks and regular market visits to China, Hong Kong and Singapore airports).

Experience years : 10 to 15

Language skills : english (business proficient) - chinese - mandarin (business proficient)