Jobs, fresher vacancy - Merchandiser - 1 Year Maternity Cover • UK

Company: Swoon Editions

UK

About SwoonSwoon was founded in 2012 to create distinctive designs that owners will want to keep forever and a lofty goal to spark home obsession everywhere.We design original pieces in-house, and our innovative NPD process quickly discovers the next trend. Our testing platform ensures designs sell online at their intended price, and our data-led approach grows sales within families exponentially. Our business model cuts out expensive overheads like shops and overstocked warehouses, making our prices affordable. Our distinctive look unlocks collaborations with leading retailers like John Lewis and many more. This diversified growth strategy is powering our brand to a significant market share. And we’re just getting started…What we are looking forWe're on the hunt for someone who is motivated to solve problems, can proactively define new ways of working, and can explain rationale to various teams simply. This role is two-fold. Firstly, to manage our ordering model so we have the right products in the shop, at the right lead time, in order to optimise revenue and conversion but not impact margin negatively with high discount and storage costs. Secondly, you'll develop a framework to direct the in-house designers on where to aim next to find future best sellers, in categories we’re already in, and new ones we should grow into. We aim to develop designs that customers love and want to keep forever.We’re looking for someone who is data-driven, well-versed at working cross-functionally and process obsessed. You can step between the detail of line level sku performance and present complex analysis and processes to business stakeholders. You’ll run some key operational processes like monthly ordering, discontinuation, cash recovery as well as being responsible for upholding guardrails on tendering and pricing to ensure we manage of stock budget wisely.We’re a small team of 22 and this is the sole buying and merch role in the business. You’ll be super motivated at the opportunity to have a real impact on our performance and bottom line from the get go and understand the nuances of a SME furniture business.ResponsibilitiesRange Planning & Ordering Manage continuity ordering, ensuring the right depth of stock investment across core and partner channels. Own the discontinuation process, driving cash recovery and maximising sell-through. Coordinate quarterly SKU-level range forecasts to align with demand and stock levels. Lead quarterly range reviews for core business and partnership assortments. Manage and trade the stock pool across the core business and partner accounts. Analyse newness performance and determine which products should move into continuity. Tendering, Pricing & Investment Coordinate the tendering process, ensuring timely alignment across teams. Sign off RRP, intake margin, and investment levels in line with commercial objectives. Prioritise and develop business cases for new sub-category and category investments. Review and approve white-label and brand investments for non-core categories. Reporting & Performance Analysis Produce regular reports on range performance versus target, highlighting key drivers across lead times, sales, and stock. Present insights and trading updates in weekly and monthly trading meetings. Track and evaluate category and product-level profitability to support commercial decisions. Design & Product Development Collaboration Brief Design on commercial opportunities and focus areas for each design cycle. Identify emerging trends and product gaps, supporting the development of new propositions. Pitch range extensions and newness to retail partnerships to drive incremental growth.RequirementsResults and outcome drivenAbility to work with ambiguity and get the job done with imperfect information and limited resourcesExcellent communicator of complex ideas with a logical mindset and drive to create simple repeatable rulesetsExcellent organisational skills to juggle and prioritise competing projectsTeam player, good at collaborating cross functionallyIntermediate excel /sheets skills are essential (Index match, pivot table, sumifs) Data literacy is essential with ability to handle large amounts of data from various sources and an ability to draw out insights and trends that will drive business valueAble to attend workshops in London once per weekBenefitsUpbeat, ambitious and collaborative – that’s us. We’re a lean team of 25, so if you relish responsibility and like to impact an outcome, we’re the place for you. We’ve made flexible working a permanent thing. Right now, the team works from home, but we’re open to what people might need in the future. We hold regular workshops in London; if the team wants to get together in a co-working space, that’s fine, too.We have a wide range of perks and benefits, including:Compensation & BenefitsCompetitive salaryShare options programmeProfit share schemeWellbeing allowancePension schemePrivate medical cover for you and your familyHolidays, working environment and other perks27 days holiday rising to 30 with tenure4 months of summer hours finishing at 1 PM on a Friday (we’re currently trialling rolling this out permanently!)Free furniture on each anniversary of employment Friends & family discount of 20%Remote working Frequent meet-ups, in-person workshops and socials