Women's Ethnic Wear Product Acquisition Specialist

This role involves overseeing the growth and profitability of the Women's Ethnic Wear category by ensuring the right assortment of products is available at the right time, aligned with customer preferences and market trends.

The ideal candidate will have excellent product planning skills, be able to execute buying activities efficiently, manage vendor relationships effectively, and work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of launches and merchandising plans.

• Product Planning:
  • Develop a customer-relevant product assortment that supports the achievement of category targets (sales, margin, stock turn, and sell-through).
  • Plan seasonal launches and ensure product availability, incorporating inputs from Retail Operations, Planning, and Customer Feedback.
  • Work closely with the Planning team to refine the assortment and ensure it reflects market requirements and customer feedback.
  • Execute buying activities efficiently, adhering to timelines and approvals.
  • Select products across designs, fabrics, prints, embroideries, colors, price points, and styling trends, supporting the identification of new product lines or designs based on customer trends and competitor activity.
• Market Focus and Strategy:
  • Understand customer behavior and style preference considerations specific to Women's Ethnic Wear, assisting in competitor benchmarking and awareness of pricing strategies, assortment gaps, and emerging styles.
  • Translate customer needs into actionable buying briefs for designers and suppliers, working with Marketing teams to promote specific collections and campaigns through visual merchandising and communication plans.
  • Participate in market visits to gather competitor insights and customer expectations, supporting post-launch analysis and identifying gaps for assortment adjustments.
• Vendor Management:
  • Build and maintain relationships with existing vendors while supporting the onboarding of new suppliers aligned with product requirements.
  • Assist in vendor evaluation by providing feedback on quality, delivery timelines, and cost, tracking vendor performance and resolving escalations related to product quality, delivery, or costing.
  • Support order placement, ensuring alignment on materials, samples, and production timelines, helping vendors understand business expectations related to designs, price points, and compliance.
  • Support order consolidation efforts to optimize supply and reduce lead times, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of launches and merchandising plans.
• Financial Planning:
  • Optimize the utilization of allocated budget, ensuring alignment with category goals, supporting pricing strategies by analyzing costing, margin trends, and competitor positioning.
  • Negotiate with vendors and finalize cost structures under guidance from the Category Lead, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.
• Product Presentation:
  • Work with the Visual Merchandising and Marketing teams to ensure displays meet brand and seasonal requirements, supporting the Retail team in new product launches, space allocation, and promotional activities.
  • Assist the Visual Merchandising team in preparing Planograms to ensure product presentation aligns with customer expectations, improving in-store presentation standards to ensure consistency and appeal across outlets.
• People Management:
  • Provide guidance and support to junior team members on product details, category-specific nuances, and execution, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of launches and merchandising plans.
  • Mentor team members to build product knowledge and category expertise, sharing learnings and best practices to drive continuous improvement.