Merchandise Assistants - Business Placements

Are you looking for an Industry Business Placement within Retail Merchandising?

Mothercare is a specialist retailer of products for mothers-to-be, babies and young children, from maternity and children's clothing, to home furnishings, care products, travel equipment and toys. We aim to offer our customers a compelling mix of products of good design, high quality and value for money, available from our retail outlets, our catalogue and our online store. Over the last 40 years we have grown to include stores in 38 countries, and our strong brand means that Mothercare has a very bright future.

The Buying, Merchandising and Replenishment (BMR) teams based at our Watford Head Office work closely together to ensure that we sell our product range within store as profitably as possible. These teams are responsible for developing a commercial and exciting product range, working closely with suppliers to ensure that quality and value criteria are met, and that the flow of stock to our stores is as smooth as possible.

The merchandising teams work in a partnership with the buying teams and are the "traders" in the relationship. A good Merchandiser will be on top of all the information about sales, stock levels and product availability and will make quick decisions to ensure profitability is maximised. They will also develop the sales plan for the forthcoming year and work closely with the Buyer to ensure that product is bought which will enable the plan to be achieved.

As a Merchandise Assistant you will:

• Support the Merchandiser by analysing data for the weekly review of sales performance
• Gather information on our competitors, the market and our customers to feed into our Buying process.
• Liaise with the replenishment team to ensure maximum in-store availability of product
• Provide input into the production planning process we operate with our Suppliers to ensure product is in-store on time.
• Work with the buying team to develop range which meets the business requirement
• Support weekly, monthly and seasonal presentations

Skills Required:

To be successful in a Merchandising career you'll need to enjoy analysing data and using this to identify trends and potential opportunities (or risks). It's a role that can be pressurised at times, and requires quick thinking to spot connections, evaluate lots of information very quickly and take sound, commercial decisions. Time management, a flexible approach to working, computer literacy and excellent organisational skills are required for this role, as well as a genuine passion for our products.

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain the experience and skills development necessary for a career in Merchandising. Ideally you will be studying relevant University courses and looking for an industry placement for 9-12 months, with remuneration paid monthly on a pro-rata basis.

Job Reference: 63

Location: Watford, Hertfordshire

Job Sector: Graduate

Apply Now