Category Head

Experience: 1015 Years

Reporting to: CEO / Business Head

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Category Head Fashion & Apparel to build and scale our apparel business. The role carries full ownership of the category, from P&L and merchandising strategy to vendor partnerships, assortment planning, and consumer-first brand development.

The ideal candidate will have deep knowledge of fashion trends, apparel sourcing, merchandising, and consumer behavior, with proven success in scaling large fashion categories in retail/e-commerce.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Strategy & P&L Management

- Own the P&L for the fashion & apparel category, ensuring topline growth and margin expansion.

- Define short-term and long-term business strategies in line with market trends and consumer demand.

- Drive key business KPIs: revenue, gross margin, inventory turns, and customer acquisition.

2. Apparel Merchandising & Assortment Planning

- Curate a fashion-forward assortment across menswear, womenswear, and kidswear.

- Align assortment with seasonality, global/local fashion trends, and consumer preferences.

- Balance premium and value segments to maximize reach and profitability.

- Work closely with design teams (if applicable) to develop private labels or exclusive apparel collections.

3. Vendor & Brand Partnerships

- Build strong vendor and brand relationships with leading apparel labels and emerging designers.

- Negotiate pricing, margins, and exclusivity for competitive advantage.

- Create joint business plans with top apparel brands to drive sustained growth.

4. Fashion Trends & Consumer Insights

- Continuously track global fashion trends, silhouettes, fabrics, and color forecasts.

- Use data and insights to predict demand and shape the product pipeline.

- Leverage consumer analytics to optimize pricing, discounting, and assortment depth.

5. Digital & Omni-Channel Growth

- Scale the apparel category across digital channels (app, website, marketplaces).

- Partner with marketing to design apparel-specific campaigns, lookbooks, influencer-led collections, and seasonal promotions.

- Ensure best-in-class catalog management, visual merchandising, and storytelling.

- Support offline retail (if applicable) with integrated apparel marketing and category expansion.

6. Operations & Supply Chain

- Lead demand forecasting and buying cycles aligned to seasonal apparel trends.

- Optimize inventory management to reduce excess stock and improve sell-through.

- Collaborate with supply chain teams for timely procurement and faster replenishment.

7. Leadership & Team Building

- Lead and mentor a team of category managers, buyers, and merchandisers.

- Build a strong category operating rhythm with performance tracking, reviews, and dashboards.

- Foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture.

8. Innovation & Growth Initiatives

- Identify new sub-categories (athleisure, ethnic wear, occasion wear, sustainable apparel, etc.).

- Explore collaborations with fashion designers, influencers, and international apparel brands.

- Incubate and scale in-house private labels to enhance margins and consumer loyalty.

Qualifications & Experience

- 10-15 years of experience in apparel category management, merchandising, or buying within retail/e-commerce.

- Strong business orientation with proven ability to manage and grow multi-crore apparel P&L.

- Deep understanding of fashion design, fabrics, apparel sourcing, and consumer preferences.

- Experience in assortment planning, vendor management, pricing, and demand forecasting.

- Proven success in launching and scaling apparel categories (men/women/kids).

- MBA / PG in Business, Retail, or Fashion Management preferred.