Assistant Manager - Buying & Merchandising, Category Footwear

The Assistant Manager – Buying, Merchandising & Product Development will support the seasonal range planning, assortment building, buying and merchandising activities, product performance analysis, EOSS planning, and product development initiatives for the Footwear category at Skechers India.
The role will work closely with the Buying & Merchandising, Product Development, Planning, Marketing, Retail Operations, Visual Merchandising, and other cross-functional teams to ensure the right product, assortment, quantity, timing, pricing and channel mix are delivered in line with business objectives.
The position will also be responsible for monitoring category and product performance at the store, region, channel, gender, style and size level, identifying opportunities and supporting corrective actions to maximise sales, sell-through, inventory productivity and profitability.

Job Title

Buying & Merchandising

Designation

Assistant Manager

Department

Category – Footwear

Position Type

Permanent

Location

Mumbai

Reporting To

Senior Manager – Buying & Merchandising

No. of Reportees

Individual Contributor

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Season Range Planning & Assortment Building

• Support the development of seasonal footwear ranges based on business objectives, historical performance, market trends and consumer requirements.
• Analyse previous-season performance to identify winning styles, underperforming products, gaps and opportunities for the upcoming season.
• Support assortment planning across categories, gender, product types, price points, technologies, franchises and channels.
• Assist in determining the optimum width and depth of assortment based on store grades, regional requirements and channel potential.
• Support the development of OTB and buy recommendations in line with business plans.
• Ensure the assortment is balanced across core, fashion, seasonal and newness products.
• Participate in seasonal range reviews and product selection meetings with relevant stakeholders.

2. Buying & Merchandise Planning

• Support the Buying Manager/Senior Manager in developing the seasonal buying plan for the assigned category.
• Prepare and maintain buy forms, assortment sheets, range plans, catalogues and other buying-related documents.
• Track planned versus actual buys and highlight significant deviations.
• Monitor product availability and ensure adequate inventory coverage for key styles and periods.
• Coordinate with Planning and Supply Chain teams to ensure product availability as per the agreed seasonal calendar.
• Support decisions related to replenishment, stock balancing, liquidation and inventory movement based on product performance.
• Monitor inventory ageing and identify potential risks to minimise excess and obsolete inventory.

3. Season Launch & Delivery Tracking

• Take ownership of tracking seasonal product deliveries for the respective category.
• Maintain detailed trackers for planned, received and pending deliveries.
• Coordinate with relevant internal teams to identify and resolve delays or gaps impacting season launches.
• Ensure key launches are aligned with the agreed Go-To-Market calendar.
• Highlight delivery risks and provide timely updates to the Buying/Merchandising leadership team.
• Support cross-functional teams in ensuring that new-season products are available in stores within the planned launch timelines.

4. Product Performance & Sell-Through Management

• Conduct periodic, in-depth analysis of category performance across:
  • Region
  • Store grade
  • Store/channel
  • Category
  • Gender
  • Product/style
  • Size
  • Price point
  • Season
• Monitor sales, sell-through, stock cover, inventory levels, ageing, markdowns and profitability.
• Identify top-performing and underperforming styles and recommend appropriate actions.
• Analyse store-level performance and identify assortment gaps or over/under-stock situations.
• Support initiatives to improve full-price sell-through and inventory productivity.
• Provide regular performance dashboards and actionable insights to the Buying & Merchandising team.
• Track agreed GM% and category profitability deliverables and highlight areas requiring corrective action.

5. EOSS & Markdown Planning

• Support the Buying Manager in planning and executing End of Season Sale (EOSS) activities.
• Analyse ageing and slow-moving inventory to identify products requiring markdown or liquidation.
• Support markdown recommendations based on product performance, inventory position, store/channel and seasonality.
• Monitor EOSS performance and sell-through during the sale period.
• Track inventory liquidation and identify opportunities to minimise carry-forward stock.
• Prepare post-EOSS analysis and recommendations for future seasons.

6. Product Development

• Support new product development initiatives for key channels, strategic partners and specific market opportunities.
• Coordinate with internal Product Development/Design teams and other stakeholders for product briefs, specifications and development timelines.
• Conduct market and competitor analysis to identify product gaps, consumer trends and emerging opportunities.
• Support development of products based on channel/customer requirements while maintaining Skechers brand standards.
• Assist in tracking product development milestones from concept/brief through sampling, approval and finalisation.
• Coordinate feedback on samples, specifications, colourways, materials, pricing and commercial viability.
• Maintain product development trackers and ensure timelines are adhered to.
• Support the development of commercially viable products with the right balance of consumer relevance, brand fit, price point and margin.

7. Product Knowledge & Training

• Conduct seasonal product conferences and product knowledge sessions in coordination with relevant teams.
• Develop product knowledge and understanding among store teams, including:
  • Product features
  • Technologies
  • Key selling points
  • Consumer benefits
  • Product differentiation
  • Target consumer
• Work with Retail Operations and L&D teams to ensure effective communication of new-season product information.
• Support creation and dissemination of product training material and product information.

8. Marketing & Visual Merchandising Support

• Work closely with Marketing and Visual Merchandising teams to align product launches with the seasonal marketing calendar.
• Support key marketing initiatives and product-focused campaigns.
• Provide product information and key selling propositions required for marketing communication.
• Assist in developing merchandise display plans for new-season products.
• Coordinate with Visual Merchandising and Retail Operations to ensure appropriate product presentation in stores.
• Support key launches and campaigns through timely availability of products and relevant product information.

9. Store & Regional Performance Analysis

• Conduct regular reviews of product performance across stores and regions.
• Identify variations in performance based on store grade, geography, channel and consumer profile.
• Recommend assortment adjustments based on regional and store-level trends.
• Identify size-level gaps and recommend appropriate size curves for future buys.
• Analyse store-level sell-through to identify opportunities for stock transfers, replenishment or assortment optimisation.
• Partner with Retail Operations and regional teams to understand market feedback and translate insights into merchandising actions.

10. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Buying, Merchandising, Planning, Product Development, Supply Chain, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Retail Operations, Finance and other relevant teams.
• Ensure timely communication of category plans, product launches, delivery status and performance insights.
• Participate in regular business reviews and provide relevant data and recommendations.
• Ensure alignment between product strategy, inventory availability and commercial objectives.
• Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners/vendors, wherever required.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

The role will be measured on:

• Seasonal range planning and assortment effectiveness
• Category sales achievement
• Sell-through % and full-price sell-through
• GM% / gross margin delivery
• Inventory productivity and stock cover
• New-season launch and delivery adherence
• EOSS sell-through and liquidation
• Reduction in aged/excess inventory
• Style and size-level productivity
• New product development timelines
• Product launch readiness
• Store and regional assortment effectiveness
• Accuracy and timeliness of MIS/analysis
• Effectiveness of cross-functional execution

ROLE SPECIFICATIONS

Qualification

• Graduate from FDDI (Footwear Design & Development Institute) preferred.
• Degree/Diploma in Footwear, Fashion, Retail, Merchandising or a related discipline will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in Buying & Merchandising, preferably within the footwear, fashion, sportswear, lifestyle or retail industry.
• Experience in seasonal range planning, assortment building and product performance analysis.
• Exposure to product development and working with cross-functional teams will be preferred.
• Experience in a multi-store retail environment would be an advantage.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Functional Competencies

• Season range planning and assortment building
• Buying & merchandise planning
• Sell-through management
• Category performance management
• Inventory and stock productivity
• EOSS and markdown planning
• Style and size-level analysis
• Store and regional performance analysis
• GM% and margin management
• Product development
• Product lifecycle management
• Market and competitor analysis
• Product knowledge and training
• Merchandise display planning

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong analytical and numerical ability
• Commercial acumen
• Customer and consumer orientation
• Strong attention to detail
• Planning and execution skills
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Ownership and accountability
• Ability to work in a fast-paced retail environment
• Collaborative and team-oriented approach

Technical Skills

• Strong proficiency in MS Excel, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, charts and data analysis.
• Good understanding of merchandising reports and retail KPIs.
• Exposure to ERP/retail merchandising systems would be an advantage.
• Ability to prepare management reports, dashboards and presentations using Excel and PowerPoint.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Internal:
Buying & Merchandising | Planning | Product Development | Retail Operations | Marketing | Visual Merchandising | Supply Chain | Finance | HR/L&D

External:
Vendors | Product Development Partners | Strategic Channel/Business Partners | Other relevant external stakeholders

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate should have a strong combination of merchandising expertise, commercial understanding, analytical capability and product orientation. The candidate should be comfortable working with large volumes of product and store-level data, translating insights into actionable buying and merchandising decisions, and collaborating with multiple teams to deliver seasonal business objectives.

Experience in the footwear or sportswear industry would be highly preferred, with an understanding of product technologies, consumer preferences, retail dynamics, seasonal buying cycles and product lifecycle management.

About Skechers

Skechers, a global Fortune 500® company, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel, and accessories. Serving over 180 countries and territories, Skechers connects customers to products through department and specialty stores, e-commerce and digital stores, and through our more than 5,300 Skechers retail locations.