Buying and Merchandising Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

The multi-channel Buying and Merchandising Manager plays a key role in driving the commercial performance of the Needle & Thread collections across all channels including UK and US warehouses, our online business and our UK flagship store on The King’s Road.

The role combines strategic buying input with data led merchandising execution, focusing on effective range planning, category development, in-season trading, and stock management.  You will balance creative product storytelling with commercial discipline to support brand vision, customer demand, and financial targets.

Working closely with Design, Production, Wholesale, eCommerce, Retail and Marketing teams, you will support the end-to-end merchandising lifecycle – from seasonal planning and category strategy through to in-season trading – ensuring product is well positioned, commercially optimised, and delivered in line with brand and financial objectives.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Merchandising, Buying and Category Strategy

• Contribute to the development of seasonal product strategy and category evolution, using performance data, customer insights, and market analysis to shape commercially balanced ranges
• Support the creation of regional product strategies, ensuring sensitivity to the UK, US and wholesale market differences
• Work closely with Design on the seasonal edit, SKU count and depth allocation by category, ensuring appropriate breadth and depth to maximise sell-through and margin
• Work closely with the CFO on financial frameworks and OTB alignment to ensure category plans meet commercial and profitable targets
• Assist in maintaining clear pricing and margin architecture across categories
• Ensure transparency and clarity of category performance reporting to C-Suite, supporting informed strategic decision-making
• Support Production and Supply Chain teams with critical path tracking and delivery management

Trading and Multi-Channel Performance

• Manage OTB, sales forecasts, and intake plans across channels in line with agreed budgets
• Analyse weekly and seasonal performance, identifying trading risks and opportunities
• Support in-season trading actions including re-orders, stock rebalancing, and markdown activity
• Ensure optimal stock flow, size curves, and availability to maximise sell-through and margin
• Partner with E-commerce and Retail teams to optimise product launches, on-site presentation and in-season performance

Reporting and Analysis

• Produce clear weekly and seasonal sales, stock, and intake reports
• Track and interpret KPIs including sell-through, margin, stock turn, availability and regional performance
• Provide transparent and commercially robust reporting to senior leadership, supporting strategic planning and seasonal hindsight analysis
• Use trading insights, customer data, and wholesale performance to inform future range planning and merchandising decisions

Team and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with Buying and Merchandising colleagues, supporting day-to-day delivery and development
• Support junior team members through knowledge-sharing and coaching, where required
• Partner closely with Marketing to support key product stories, launches, and campaigns
• Liaise with Supply Chain and Production to manage deliveries, stock risks and trading requirements

IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Solid experience in a buying and merchandising role within womenswear fashion, with exposure to multi-channel or digital-fist environments
• A strong understanding of key digital and retail channels and how they contribute to overall business performance
• Commercially and analytically minded, with hands-on experience supporting in-season trading and merchandising decisions in line with wider business strategy
• Experience working with eCommerce platforms and analytics tools such as Shopify Plus and Google Analytics
• Highly organized with strong planning skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Comfortable working with data to identify risks, opportunities, and actionable insights
• Able to work proactively and independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience supporting or managing junior team members is an advantage
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with excellent attention to detail
• Digitally savvy, commercially aware, and confident operating in a dynamic fashion environment
• Salary £60k - £65k, depending on experience