Lead Buying & Merchandising - Kids Category

Role Overview The Lead – Buying & Merchandising will be responsible for driving category growth, profitability, and inventory efficiency through strategic buying, assortment planning, and merchandise management. The role requires strong commercial acumen, trend understanding, vendor negotiation capability, and data-driven decision-making to deliver revenue and margin targets across retail channels. Key Responsibilities 1. Category Strategy & Financial Ownership Own category-level revenue, gross margin, and inventory health. Develop seasonal and annual merchandise plans aligned with business goals. Drive pricing strategy, markdown management, and margin optimization. 2. Buying & Assortment Planning Lead range planning, SKU rationalization, and option planning based on sales analytics and consumer insights. Ensure balanced mix across price tiers, core, fashion, and seasonal products. Manage OTB (Open to Buy) planning and stock allocation strategy. 3. Vendor Management & Cost Negotiation Identify and onboard vendors aligned with quality and cost benchmarks. Negotiate pricing, MOQs, lead times, and commercial terms. Monitor vendor performance and ensure timely deliveries. 4. Inventory & Sell-Through Management Track sell-through, ageing, stock cover, and replenishment cycles. Drive corrective actions through markdowns, transfers, or liquidation planning. Ensure optimum stock allocation across stores and regions. 5. Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with Sourcing, Supply Chain, VM, Marketing, and Operations for seamless product launches. Support new store openings with planned assortment depth and width. Participate in weekly/monthly trade reviews to track performance and action plans. Key Skills & Competencies Strong analytical and financial acumen (P&L understanding). Data-driven assortment planning capability. Negotiation and vendor management expertise. Understanding of retail KPIs (sell-through, GMROI, stock turn, ATV, conversion). Strong stakeholder management and execution focus. Experience & Qualification 8–12 years of experience in buying and merchandising within apparel/lifestyle retail. Experience in multi-store or expansion-driven environment preferred. MBA / Fashion Management / Retail Management preferred.