Position Summary:

The primary responsibility of the Assistant Product Manager is to develop, initiate and lead the execution of product assortment and strategies to drive revenue growth and deliver greater market share. The successful candidate is a strong leader and innovator capable of spotting trends and developing suppliers. Candidate shall develop and execute strategies, create, and update measurements tools and aid in decision making for all tactical efforts of the buying team, including product assortment, merchandising, pricing, and promotional opportunities.

Responsibilities:

• Managing product assortment and product specifications (Open floor – Mercado)
• Develop and instill focused merchandise assortment strategies and inventory management.
• Address opportunities within the business and the market to maximize sales and margin opportunities.
• Monitoring fashion and design trends in the housewares markets to ensure assortments are on-trend.
• Develops and communicates business plans that maximize sales, margin dollars, margin percentage, and profitability based on current business trends to maintain and enhance Curacao’s current market leadership position.
• Develops customer driven assortments that support departmental goals and key item focus.
• Collaborates with other merchandising functions to determine product lifecycle, price down, exit strategy and inventory aging standards.
• Improves product offerings by negotiating terms, including service, price, product quality, markdown allowances, exclusivity, packaging, lead times and returns.
• Identifies products that will maximize promotional and marketing strategies to meet sales and margin goals based on internal business and external market factors.
• Establishes and maintains effective vendor relationships to strengthen market relationships and product and trend knowledge.
• Visits stores to evaluate merchandise mix, observes competition, weighs individual store needs, and translates findings into executable product plans.
• Understands competitors’ strengths, weakness, and strategies.
• Establishes collaborative relationship with placement to ensure availability and the timely delivery of merchandise.

Requirements:

• Criteria and Merchandise Planning.
• Step-Up program and audit its implementation.
• Create direction of sales for retail.
• Merchandise promotion plan to reserve merchandise for future promotions.
• Find nonperforming products by sub department and adjust pricing to reduce their inventory.
• Balance each sub-department for non-selling products not to exceed 5% of the inventory.
• Audit step-up items to match floor pricing to system pricing, though the Merchant.
• Audit allowance of lead item sold.
• Negotiate with vendors to meet competitive prices.
• Negotiate discounts, rebates, additional advertising funds, co-op, special event funds, group buying discounts, volume discounts, RA’s, sales education, and service.
• Watch for products in high demand and have the right supply.
• Create a lineup of merchandise categories.
• Create accurate forecasts and projections.
• Communicate with all levels in corporate and store management, as well as potential suppliers.
• Create and develop vendor partnership programs to improve the competitive advantage of the company.
• Initiate spiffs on products the entice sales and improve inventory turns.
• Price products, both initial and promotional, to optimize margin and enhance profitability. Work with Advertising and Director of Merchandising to develop promotional activities and attain marketing goals.
• Research, analyze and monitor financial and technological factors to maintain competitive advantage.
• Educate sales and service staff about new product promotions to increase sales personnel knowledge and effectiveness.
• Create directions of sale for each promotion and new product line, use the catalog program.
• Develop promotional ideas to liquidate slow-moving products to improve cash flow and reduce handling.
• Works in synergy with the ecommerce team.

SPEED & SPIRIT is what we look for in our candidates, defined by some simple values that inspire us to BE DRIVEN in our performance, BE VIBRANT

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour

Experience:

• Procurement: 1 year (Preferred)
• Purchasing: 1 year (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Los Angeles, CA 90015 (Required)

Work Location: In person