Head of Direct Import

Director of Merchandising (Direct Import)

As the Director of Merchandising you will play an important role in a retail company by overseeing the marketing, branding, and promotion of the companys products. This managerial position requires strong leadership skills, in addition to creativity and knowledge of market trends. Industry experience is the most important prerequisite to succeed in this profession, but pairing that with a bachelors degree might be supportive.

• Importing, sourcing and maintaining the stock availability of imports across all stores.
• Negotiating cost effective import terms to support Buyers, Category Managers in meeting their revenue and profit targets.
• Working with suppliers to ensure that all products comply with Foods Group and government policies and regulations

• Establishing relationships with vendors to ensure the company has access to new products that meet customer demand

• Maintaining relationships with key vendors to ensure that all merchandise is of high quality and in stock

• Reviewing sales figures to determine which products are most popular or have room for improvement

• Creating marketing plans for upcoming seasons based on customer feedback, industry trends, and competitor activity

• Ensuring that prices are competitive with similar stores or websites

• Reviewing inventory levels to ensure that there is enough product available to meet demand

• Monitoring inventory levels to ensure there is adequate supply of products to meet customer demand

• Working with store managers and other staff members to develop displays and other marketing materials used in stores

• Recommending changes in store layout or design to improve customer experience

• Manage functions related to Merchandise Strategy (Import) such as contacting source suppliers, managing supplier terms and supporting Buyers/Category Managers in the procurement process of products sourced from overseas

Qualification : Communication: Communication is the ability to convey information to others in a clear and concise manner. As a director of merchandising, you may be responsible for communicating with suppliers, buyers and other members of your team. Effective communication can help you convey your ideas and expectations to others and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

Organization: Organization is another skill that can help directors of merchandising. This skill can help them keep track of their inventory, sales numbers and other important information. Organization can also help them keep track of their teams responsibilities and delegate tasks effectively.

Customer service: Customer service is the ability to interact with customers in a friendly and helpful manner. Directors of merchandising often have strong customer service skills because they interact with customers on a daily basis. Customer service skills can help you develop a positive reputation in your industry and encourage customers to continue shopping with your company.

Product knowledge: As a director of merchandising, you should have extensive product knowledge of the products you sell. This can help you make informed decisions about which products to sell and how to display them. You can use your product knowledge to help you create a merchandising strategy for your company.

Marketing: Marketing is the process of promoting a product or service to a target audience. Directors of merchandising often have strong marketing skills, as they are responsible for creating and implementing marketing campaigns for their company. This may include creating advertisements, planning events and promotions and analyzing the success of marketing strategies.