About the role
Manager –Buying & Merchandising (MBC- DIstribution & LFS)
Function: Buying & Merchandising
Business: MBC (Distribution, LFS etc)
Role Purpose
Own the buying, merchandising and commercial performance of assigned MBC partners, driving profitable growth through the right assortment, inventory and partner strategy while ensuring strong execution of seasonal and in-season priorities.
Pre-season Responsibilities
- Own seasonal business plans for assigned MBC partners across OTB, inventory and sell-through.
- Lead assortment planning and range selection, ensuring the right category, product, price-point and option mix for each partner.
- Drive seasonal sell-in, OTB discussions and range reviews with partners.
- Build strong partner relationships and translate partner/market insights into business opportunities.
- Analyse market, consumer and competitor trends to identify assortment gaps and growth opportunities.
- Partner with Brand, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, CTC/Creation and other teams to ensure seamless seasonal execution.
- Drive strong product productivity and alignment with overall brand and channel strategy.
In-season Responsibilities
- Monitor weekly/monthly sales, sell-through, inventory, availability and replenishment performance.
- Identify winners, risks and opportunities and recommend actions to improve business performance.
- Drive timely replenishment, reallocation, markdown and cancellation decisions where required.
- Track performance by category, product, partner, store/network and price point.
- Use data and insights to continuously improve assortment productivity.
Experience & Skills
- 6–8 years of experience in buying, merchandising, category management or commercial roles.
- Experience in fashion, sports, footwear, apparel, retail preferred.
- Strong commercial, analytical and assortment planning skills.
- Strong stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation capabilities.
- Proficiency in Excel and business analytics.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrix environment.
