Category Manager
Nike
Total years of experience :13 years, 11 Months
Buying for Nike women’s categories in apparel, footwear and accessories business value of AED 400 million.
Responsible for crafting strategy for development of the business and to ensure optimal representation of the brand inits 65 stores across the Middle East.
Trading the business in-season to deliver ROI against category requirements.
Ensuring post-season analysis and learning are embedded into buying processes.
Accountable for Net sales, Sell through and Standard margin. Analysing sales data and sell-through for over 65 mono stores across GCC .
Leading meetings and mentoring the team to discuss targets and action plans.
Creating a store range plan according to budget, store capacity and classification to keep the bottom line in check Planning the distribution strategy for new season launches. Producing assortments for merchandising /marketing departments across stores.
Liaising with marketing to streamline campaign communication for each season.
Creating store plans for marketing colleagues to follow and implement.
Sole responsibility for directing team to distribute the right product to stores and arranging replenishments, inter-branch transfers, and pull outs according to performance.
Presenting seasonal buying strategy to Head of Nike Retail and category managers.
Planning and reviewing OTB budget .
Inventory management and strategy including markdowns for sale period.
Store Stock assessment and retail operations on a daily basis. Managing a team of Assistant buyers and merchandise, allocators making sure each team is motivated to meet the kpi.
Brands : See by Chloe, Versace Jeans, Love Moschino, Bally, Max&co, Iceberg, Roberto Cavalli .
Responsible for strategic execution of the overall buying strategy for the Men’s and Women’s Ready-To-Wear & accessories.
Driving performance and growth strategy to meet top line numbers .
Building vendor relationships and ensuring smooth on- boarding process.
Accountable for analysing sell-through for both in-store and e-com.
Responsible for trading stock, sourcing new brands, vendors, products and negotiating the best terms.
Managing incumbent brands and initiatives to drive sales and maximise profitability.
Sales Forecasting & Monitoring-Constructing annual buying plan supported with trade calendar and implementing the budget in alignment with Brand principles.
Develop plans to ensure that top line sales goals and bottomline profit goals are met.
Reconcile top-down budgets with bottom-up plan.
Brand placement in stores planned on the basis of product categories and brand guidelines.
Working closely with marketing team to push promotional strategies.
Boost sale of brands through different sales channels. Overseeing cohesive operations of all activities including visual merchandising, stock availability and adherence to brand guidelines.
Analysis of performance & review of monthly KPI’s.
Allocating weekly replenishment and store-to-store transfers to maintain healthy stock.
Tasked with attending sales campaign in Europe and make buying plans basis analysis of sales and inventory data. Partner with cross functional teams (Both Local & Global) to ensure effective business delivery for the brands.
Review and monitor sales reports on weekly basis at category level to implement feedback and action plans with the store team and brand principles.
Liaison with E-commerce and merchandising teams to drive initiatives online.
Build strategic digital opportunities that align with the Brand.
Buying and Merchandising of women's category .Drive the Buying cycle by making end-to-end calendar for the buying season .
Vendor management, worked closely with production partners in China, Turkey, Bangladesh, India for order placing, negotiating the best possible terms and timely availability of season merchandise range.
Planned buying schedules on sales forecast and replanning of best sellers, maximising revenue . Prepare seasonal optimal assortment plan by category for store, following brand’s guidelines.
Liaising with Logistics Team to get shipments on time for launch, manage phasing of collections and, Support in Inventory management
Understanding market trend leading to strategizing and executing brand strategy, understanding of target customer .Fashion and inspiration training
Insights on sell-thru by categories to analyse potential of categories in the region .Maintaining intake margins of all delivered goods .
Directed visual merchandising and projects team on aspects in-store branding and layout maintaining brand look and feel.
Coordinated with marketing division for various marketing activations, executed promotional corner to liquidate slow moving stocks.
Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
● Designed and developed casual youth collections supplying to high fashion stores across India
● Responsible for designing new concepts and developing patterns, embellishments, transforming
into silhouettes for season couture line
● Conceptualised and developed Wills India Fashion week theme, collections, accessories, right
stage look and feel maintaining brand positioning