Category Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Business Strategy:
• Drive the seasonal strategies in line with the brand positioning to formulate Gross Margin Plan
• Develop a fine tuned assortment and investment plan
• Create the sourcing development plan and action the critical path to deliver timely
• Negotiate with new suppliers on product pricing, payment terms, cost of freight, provision of training, and the extent of their involvement in advertising and promotions, to decide on placing a purchase order with the supplier for the concerned product
• OTB Planning
• – Manage OTB in tandem with the planning counterpart
• Deliver the seasonal business strategy by monitoring and impacting the critical path, range building and product selection
• Prepare and manage the buying calendar
• Formulate seasonal product focus plan with Marketing and VM to drive key product initiatives
• Focus on holding current business and build new categories
• Conducting customer focus groups and competitive shopping
• Performance and Operations:
• Analysis and reporting of weekly sales performance at style, range, category and business unit level against range plan. Take in season action to revise production flows and maximize sales
• Manage TNA plans
• Implement the buying calendar for timely seasonal analysis and range build
• Perform regular competitor surveys to identify product gaps, influence lessons learnt and range plans
• Manage range and product hierarchy and create the seasonal phasing plan
• Responsible for the ‘The Look’ for the season. Influence product selection, in-store VM as per guidelines and layout planning
• Keep abreast of market trends and awareness of competitor activities
• Manage the product training of staff to ensure up-to-date knowledge. Prepare regular trends training and deliver to the business units
• Review buying feedback reports and provide recommendations to General Manager as to buying strategy for a respective brand/collection