Position Summary...The Senior Merchant for Kids Fashion leads the end-to-end category vision, financial performance, and customer-centric assortment strategy across both brick-and-mortar and digital channels. This role champions trend-right style, quality, and Everyday Value for families, driving multi-million-dollar P&L growth through agile sourcing, omnichannel execution, and data-driven decision-making.
What you'll do...This role is accountable for all aspects of merchandise profit and loss management and category financial results. This includes short-term and long-term planning, as well as proactive/reactive management to ensure forecasts, sales, markdowns, coop collection, market share growth, gross profit, inventory targets/budgets, and pricing are met or exceeded. The role may also involve communicating and reporting results to relevant cross-functional partners, reviewing post-buy financial analysis, and identifying records of results for cross-functional review.
The role develops category strategies that align with the merchant framework and portfolio strategies/financials through the use and review of multiple data sources. Item level assortment analysis, assortment decisions, and needs analysis for priority sub-categories are required. Vendor optimization, SKU optimization, price ladders, private label/brand strategy, and development are also part of the role. Visiting stores to build category strategy and price ladders for priority sub-categories may be necessary. Proactive communication of strategies to leadership and cross-functional teams is expected.
Initiate, negotiate, and manage vendor agreements, costs, vendor allowances/terms, quality, and delivery terms to drive supplier performance. The role involves developing and maintaining vendor relationships and may include domestic and overseas vendors. All aspects of marketing for the category, including tab space planning based on historical analysis of results, item level planning, selection, placement forecasting, and execution for tabs and other media, are included. Accuracy proofing of final tabs or other media and developing exit strategies for tab inventory residue is also required.
This role is responsible for new item and promotional forecasts, identifying item deletes, managing and communicating markdowns/markups/price adjustments, and developing exit strategies. Preparing and leading all line reviews and delivering store-ready modulars and seasonal sets on time is necessary. Completing promotional planning activities, conducting modular walkthroughs with senior management from cross-functional areas, and creating store communication to ensure flawless execution at the store level are also part of the role. Additionally, the role involves associate engagement, development, and ensuring that associates have current development and succession plans in place. This includes providing coaching and direction to Category Team Analysts and/or Associate Merchants and/or Category Advisors, as well as mentoring other merchants as required.
Day to Day Responsibilities also include: - Drive category growth through customer-focused assortment, pricing, and omnichannel merchandising strategies.
- Analyze customer, market, and competitive insights to identify growth opportunities and improve category performance.
- Partner with vendors and Product Development teams to deliver innovation, quality, value, and speed to market.
- Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, Digital, Finance, and Store Operations to execute category plans.
- Lead seasonal and promotional execution to deliver a consistent customer experience across all channels.
- Coach and develop merchandising talent while supporting succession planning and team capability building.
Qualifications & Core Competencies- Education: Bachelor's Degree in Business, Merchandising, Retail Management, or equivalent practical experience.
- Experience: 6-8+ years of retail buying, merchandising, or category management experience; direct background in apparel, fashion, or high-volume retail preferred.
- Omnichannel Acumen: Demonstrated success managing both digital commerce and physical store assortments at scale.
- Commercial Negotiation: Proven track record in complex contract negotiations, product development, and global/domestic vendor management.
- Analytical Mindset: High proficiency in retail math, financial modeling, margin optimization, and category analytics platforms.
The pay range for this position is $109,400.00 - $150,480.00. Pay will be determined based on relevant experience.
L'échelle salariale pour ce poste est de 109,400.00 à 150,480.00. La rémunération sera déterminée en fonction de l'expérience pertinente.
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Minimum Qualifications...Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
Age - 16 or older
Preferred Qualifications...Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.
Primary Location...1940 Argentia Rd, Mississauga, ON L5N 1P9, Canada
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