Company Description
Job Description
This individual will work as part of the EMEA Brands team to develop local product strategy and support for the A&F brand. They will drive product strategy across all channels. They will work directly with the global product team to create the local version of our brand aesthetic. Success in this role will be highly dependent upon building and maintaining exceptional relationships with internal and external teams in both EMEA and the US.
What Will You Be Doing?
- Within a brand, act as owner of a full gender assortment for the EMEA region
- Lead merchandise buys and distortions for relevant department, leveraging regional customer preferences and advancing regional business strategy while preserving brand identity and priorities
- Create the high-level architecture for an EMEA-exclusive product assortment
- Ensure assortments are consistent with overall brand strategy and identity
- Item-level execution of EMEA-exclusive assortment will be handled centrally by Home Office Design and Merchandise teams
- EMEA-exclusive product assortment is expected to play a key role in sales growth
- Be the expert in current selling analysis and historical selling knowledge for the region
- Leverage financial and strategic capabilities to influence promotions, pricing, product placement, etc. as well as product development and assortments
- Intimately understand regional customers’ preferences and interests by observing shopping patterns, regularly shopping competitors, and monitoring media platforms
- Partner with Home Office teams to ensure EMEA-exclusive assortment is on track throughout the product development process, carrying out consistent updates and communicating effectively both remotely and in-person
Execute against key milestones / seasonal processes:
o Following each season, execute a detailed hindsight / strategic line review process at the department level to inform future strategy and identify line list needs for design
o Present weekly selling / business updates as part of a regular Monday review process, evaluating performance, proposing tactical improvements, and consolidating results into a summary to be shared with the Home Office
o Participate in central assortment reviews on a seasonal basis, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys
o Participate in monthly Chase / Buy / Cut reviews to provide a regional perspective on key products and fine-tune assortments
o Participate in monthly MPC meetings, working with team to identify upsides and risks to the plan
o Connect remotely and in-person with Home Office Visual Merchandising teams to coordinate floorsets
What Do You Need To Bring?
Bachelor’s or undergraduate University degree equivalent
4+ years of Merchandising or Buying experience, preferably in apparel
Proven leadership/management experience and ability to thrive in team-based settings
Passion for the merchant role, fashion retail, customer research, and the A&F brand
Desire to take ownership for a portion of a multi-billion-dollar business
An acute eye for product and trend
A deep understanding of sales analysis and financial metrics that relate to your business
Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate confidently to leadership
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed by the department
A high comfort-level with analytical sales tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
A collaborative approach to working with cross-functional partners to achieve the vision of the brand
Our Company
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global retailer of five iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister, Gilly Hicks and Social Tourist. At A&F Co., we’re here for our associates, customers and communities on the journey to being and becoming who they are – and because no journey is the same, we strive to create an inclusive culture, where everyone is free to share ideas.
Our Values
We lead with purpose and always put our people first, which is evidenced by our Great Place to Work™ Certification, as well as being a 2021 recipient of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Retail, and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for 16 consecutive years. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.
What You'll Get
As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you’ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F is committed to providing simple, competitive, and comprehensive benefits that align with our Company’s culture and values, but most importantly – with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:
- Incentive bonus program
- Annual companywide review process
- Flexible spending accounts
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Life and disability insurance
- Associate assistance program
- Paid parental and adoption leave
- Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
- Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
- Paid time off & one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
- Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are “work from anywhere” days for most roles & six work from anywhere weeks per year)
- Seven associate wellness half days per year
- Onsite fitness center
- Merchandise discount on all of our brands
- Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
- Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
- Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!
Additional Information
ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
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