Retail Merchandiser - Temporary

GENERAL ROLE

Reporting to the Retail Merchandising Manager, the Retail Merchandiser contributes to the achievement of the sales budget and the development of turnover across the Italy subsidiary.

As the product expert for their Métiers, he/she is responsible for developing and driving a relevant and coherent product assortment across the store network. 

In close collaboration with Retail, Retail Planning, Visual Merchandising and the Métiers teams, he/she monitors business performance and inventory levels, supports stores during buying sessions, defines the product strategy and ensures its successful execution throughout the season.

The position is based in the HQ of Milan and requires occasional travels in Italy & Greece and in Paris. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. Drive business performance and be an expert on their Métiers

• Contribute to the achievement of sales, sell-through and stock objectives across its Métiers.

• Monitor business performance through regular quantitative and qualitative analysis by store and by Métier. Share the appropriate level of information with the Italy/Greece team, the European team, and the Métiers.

• Identify risks and opportunities and recommend action plans to improve performance.

• Develop a deep understanding of the Italian and Greek market, customer expectations and competitive environment.

• Regularly visit stores and spend time with store teams to better understand trends and adapt the product strategy accordingly. 

• Analyze competitors’ trends and price positioning. 

2. Manage buying activities and optimize inventory

• Collaborate on the OTB definition in line with the subsidiary strategy, growth opportunities of each Métier and stock targets. 

• Prepare buying sessions and defines buying strategies in line with business objectives and store needs.

• Support stores in their freedom of buying to ensure a unique yet coherent offer across the network.

• Support the development of novelties while ensuring the optimization of best-sellers and permanent collections.

• Define and manage the assortment of Permanents items, propose adjustments based on performance and store constraints.

• Partner closely with Retail Planning to optimize stock coverage and identify replenishment, transfer and stock adjustment opportunities throughout the season.

3. Ensure the execution and animation of the product strategy

• Coordinate collection launches and key commercial activations in collaboration with Retail, Planning, VM and Training teams.

• Ensure that the product strategy is consistently executed across the store network.

• Partner closely with Visual Merchandising teams to maximize product visibility and enhance the client experience.

• Establish regular routines with stores to monitor performance and adjust strategy based on their specific needs.

• Support stores, VM and Customer Experience teams in the preparation of in-store commercial animations (trunk shows, etc.).

4. Build strong partnerships with stores, Europe and Métiers

• Develop strong and collaborative relationships with Europe, Métiers and store teams to ensure alignment on business priorities and product strategies.

• Communicate and ensure that the subsidiary's priorities, buying strategy and product ambitions are clearly understood by all stakeholders.

• Escalate local needs and opportunities in terms of product typology, stock availability and assortment development.

• Actively contribute to the European Merchandising community by sharing best practices, business insights and key learnings from the Italian & Greek market.

PROFILE

• Master's degree (Business School, University or equivalent).

• A first successful experience in Retail Merchandising, Buying or a related commercial function is preferred, ideally within luxury, fashion or premium retail environments.

• Fluency in Italian and English. French will be considered a strong advantage;

• Proficient with Excel / Power Point / Neo BI / IT tools;

• Comfortable working with reporting and merchandising tools

• Analytical skills and a particular appetite for defining strategies;

• Excellent leadership attitude and ability to lead and motivate a team;

• Professionalism, enthusiasm, dynamism, ease of integration and teamwork complete the profile.

Hermès engages positive and passionate people who own the following requirements:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a customer service orientation;

• Team player mentality to build meaningful relationships and ability to work autonomously;

• Availability, flexibility and dynamism to function in a high-pace environment;

• Determined to be part of a people centric retail project, for which is required vocation for human values, passion and a strong aesthetic sense.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Contract Type: Temporary

• Working Hours: Full-time 

• Applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement: CCNL Commercio

• Indicative Starting Gross Annual Salary: €45,000, determined according to objective and gender-neutral criteria.

• Variable Pay: Eligibility for an annual incentive plan in line with Company policies.

• Benefits: €10 meal voucher per working day, in addition to statutory and collective bargaining benefits. Employees may also be eligible for supplementary benefits and wellbeing programs in accordance with Company policies.

In Hermès diversity of experience and  perspectives create a better work environment, we value, ensure and believe in gender equality, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds. Join the human adventure of Hermès!