WHAT DOES A MERCHANDISER DO?
Published: Dec 01, 2025 - The Merchandiser develops commercially driven seasonal collections by defining the range plan, guiding the collection-building process, and aligning closely with sales, design, and product development teams. This role involves analyzing sell-in/sell-out data, market trends, and competitor performance to drive growth targets, optimize pricing and margins, and provide timely forecasts, reports, and product recommendations to support strategic decisions. The individual also collaborates with global sales teams, leads key collection presentations, manages sample and product information needs, and ensures market-appropriate assortments across regions.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Merchandiser
1. Merchandiser Job Summary
- Data Analysis: Prepare and analyze necessary data for buying and support buying for showrooms.
- Presentation Support: Support the preparation of collection presentations for client advisors.
- Store Assessment: Visit stores with category managers to identify issues and support them in taking actions.
- Sales Reporting: Prepare weekly and monthly sales and sell-through reports.
- Inventory Management: Check inventories and sell-through data and follow up with stock rebalancing plans in cooperation with the Merchandiser and Supply Chain.
- Store Communication: Prepare announcements and information for stores related to product launch, allocation, and retrieval.
- Inquiry Handling: Respond to inquiries from stores.
- Event Support: Support in-store events and the openings or renewals of stores.
- Market Analysis: Understand market trends and competitors’ actions and support the preparation of feedback to the central marketing team.
- Quality Coordination: Understand quality issues and follow up with necessary actions in collaboration with the quality department.
- Content Review: Check the contents for brochures, PR materials, advertisements, and the website.
- Sample Management: Handle sample management responsibilities.
- Travel Coordination: Arrange business trips.
2. Merchandiser Accountabilities
- Shelf Merchandising: Merchandise store shelving, coolers, and displays with products in assigned accounts.
- Product Rotation: Rotate products in the backroom and on the shelf.
- Product Transport: Transport products to and from the backroom to shelf locations.
- Equipment Operation: Use equipment to transport products such as U-boats, hand trucks, and pallet jacks.
- Promotional Display: Display promotional materials such as signs and banners in accounts.
- Stock Organization: Keep backroom stock in neat and orderly condition.
- Issue Reporting: Communicate store issues to store managers and Pepsi management.
- Customer Relations: Build customer relationships at the store level.
- Procedure Compliance: Comply with operating procedures such as scan-in or scan-out and follow designated routes.
- Account Servicing: Service accounts during designated times established by management.
- Customer Service: Deliver customer service through communication, rapport building, and attentiveness to customer needs.
- Order Entry: Use handheld devices to write and input orders.
3. Merchandiser Functions
- Seasonal Coordination: Track seasonal development and communicate status between PD teams, shoe vendors, and material suppliers, ensuring materials are consolidated and ready according to the seasonal T&A.
- Fabric Partnership: Work in partnership with fabric mills from fabric development and sampling through the SMS stage to bulk production.
- Sample Management: Handle counter samples and development in an effective and timely manner for necessary approval.
- Development Tracking: Track and update fabric development status in the system and enter price details accurately and on time.
- Record Maintenance: Maintain a good filing and record system, specifically to build and manage the physical library and PLM database.
- Supplier Communication: Communicate closely with material suppliers while considering quality, price, and lead-time.
- Production Support: Support the Planning team and shoe vendors by pushing or negotiating production lead-time.
- Testing Knowledge: Understand materials testing protocols.
4. Merchandiser Job Description
- Range Planning: Provide the range plan and collection architecture to create commercial and fashionable collections in line with the corporate direction and market needs in collaboration with sales, design, and product development teams.
- Collection Guidance: Guide the collection-building process, including merchandising brief handover, sketch, and proto reviews.
- Growth Achievement: Achieve aggressive merchandising growth targets with healthy price value, margin, and collection efficiency based on management goals.
- Market Analysis: Analyze sell-in and sell-out data, competitor performance, and market trends to identify opportunities and make commercial recommendations.
- Data Management: Maintain efficient reporting and data management for planning and evaluation to support management decision-making.
- Pricing Alignment: Attend pre-pricing and final pricing or margin meetings to ensure price points reflect quality and align with margin targets.
- Sales Communication: Communicate with sales teams to meet different market requirements by suggesting effective product selections and supporting sales with merchandising-related topics such as sample allocation and product information.
- Collection Presentation: Present seasonal collections in key meetings with the ability to lead, influence, and moderate discussions.
- Database Provision: Provide databases, such as forecasts, in an efficient and timely manner at all times.
5. Merchandiser Duties
- Account Relationship Management: Build and maintain positive relationships with accounts that bring defined value.
- Business Development: Seek out new business that would profitably enhance ADM company assets.
- Customer Understanding: Understand customer requirements and strive to meet them to differentiate from the competition.
- Account Documentation: Maintain a clear customer account list and provide detailed background information in files.
- Accounting Coordination: Handle all accounting-related issues on time to ensure good customer service.
- Decision Making: Make quick decisions in a fast market and take responsibility to defend them logically.
- Market Knowledge: Develop a clear understanding of local, national, and world markets and trends.
- Outbound Communication: Make aggressive outbound phone calls to deliver and receive timely market information.
- Price Discovery: Perform price discovery and maintain bid or offer to enhance risk management and pricing.
- Margin Analysis: Understand margin calculations and their effect on commodity pricing.
- Logistics Optimization: Ensure the most cost-efficient transportation and logistics.
6. Merchandiser Details
- Transportation Knowledge: Understand the value of ADM-owned transportation, such as barges, trucks, and railcars.
- Freight Awareness: Develop a good working knowledge of freight spreads and competitor activities.
- System Proficiency: Develop a clear understanding and working knowledge of ADM information technology systems.
- Policy Compliance: Understand and strictly adhere to corporate compliance policies, safety systems, and programs.
- Goal Alignment: Ensure that individual goals are aligned with company goals.
- Personal Development: Constantly work on personal development within the company.
- Plant Operations Insight: Develop a good understanding of local plant operations.
- Internal Collaboration: Work to attain positive, cooperative relationships with internal colleagues across divisions and responsibilities.
- Communication Effectiveness: Effectively use communication channels for proper coordination within the office and across locations.
- Professional Conduct: Portray a positive image of the company and self when interacting with customers and colleagues.
- Reporting Management: Prepare and submit daily and ad hoc reports and information requests.
7. Merchandiser Responsibilities
- Merchandising Support: Support the Head of Merchandising to ensure the buying function is effectively controlled within the agreed business strategy.
- Framework Management: Ensure all necessary frameworks, controls, and skill sets are in place to enable both long-term planning and in-season trading to maximise business performance.
- Data Utilization: Use data to optimise the sales volume and profitability of all designated product areas.
- Budget Planning: Support the planning of budgets by category, option count, and depth of buy based on overall business and financial goals.
- Stock Control: Control stock levels based on weekly sales and stock intakes (WSSI).
- Forecast Review: Review sales forecasts based on performance and take action accordingly.
- Sales Analysis: Analyse and monitor best and worst sellers and make informed recommendations for action.
- Promotion Planning: Recommend promotions and rebuys.
- Margin Monitoring: Monitor and maintain buying margin and gross profit margins.
- Performance Maximization: Ensure that best sellers reach their full potential.
- Data Provision: Supply the Merchandiser and buying team with the necessary data to enable informed decisions and planning.
- Merchandiser Deputising: Deputise for the Merchandiser.
- Pricing Proposal: Propose weekly pricing amendments and assess potential margin impact.
- Reporting Execution: Run reports from data systems for Monday Trade and present key findings and actions to the Merchandiser and Buyer.
- Team Coordination: Support the day-to-day management of the MAA role to ensure workload is prioritised according to current business needs.
8. Merchandiser Overview
- Customer Relations: Build strong relationships with customers and the Sales team by being reliable, efficient, and communicating effectively.
- Product Display: Build displays of products in line with company standards and in pre-agreed locations.
- POS Implementation: Use impactful point-of-sale materials on displays to generate shopper interest in products.
- Shelf Availability: Ensure products are always available on the shelf for shoppers to purchase.
- Business Development: Assist in creating and enhancing long-term business relationships with customers to maximize business growth and opportunities.
- Order Follow-Up: Follow up orders with vendors, customers, and internal parties to ensure customer satisfaction and on-time delivery.
- Sample Coordination: Arrange sample submission to customers for approval.
- Quality Coordination: Coordinate with the QC section to ensure that all products routinely and consistently meet acceptable standards required by the customer.
9. Merchandiser Details and Accountabilities
- Retail Operations: Work for a retail business or grocery store, e.g., understanding store operations, knowing the backroom and inventory, stocking aisles and shelves, etc.
- Product Movement: Move products within a store, e.g., safely stacking and moving products on equipment such as a U-boat, hand truck/dolly, and/or breakdown, etc.
- Product Merchandising: Merchandise products, e.g., filling shelves, building displays, making products look attractive, rotating products, cleaning shelves, eliminating out-of-stocks and out-of-date products, etc.
- Inventory Management: Manage backroom/stock room inventory, e.g., organizing pallets, stacking and storing inventory or products, etc.
- Customer Service: Serve customers, e.g., handling customer complaints, responding to customer requests, or meeting customer needs.
10. Merchandiser Tasks
- Product Replenishment: Maintain and replenish products in store racks, shelves, displays, and coolers by transporting products from the backroom or storage room to the front of the store using manual or powered equipment such as pallet jacks and hand trucks.
- Display Management: Build, change, or remove product displays while adhering to company standards, maintaining product signage, cleaning product space, and securing damaged or defective product.
- Backroom Organization: Manage the backroom by organizing product stock, identifying and reporting inventory levels, evaluating and processing damaged products, repacking products, organizing materials such as pallets and product shells, and completing required paperwork.
- Policy Compliance: Follow all Coke Canada Bottling and store policies related to the backroom, display floor, replenishment, equipment, and safety.
- Work Area Maintenance: Maintain an orderly and clean work area in compliance with company safety and sanitation requirements.
- Professional Relations: Maintain professional relationships with co-workers and customers.
- Equipment Handling: Push and pull manual and powered equipment containing product loads for a minimum of 100 yards without assistance.
- Physical Coordination: Grasp and manipulate objects of varying size and weight repetitively, requiring fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
11. Junior Merchandiser Roles
- Report Preparation: Prepare reports and present at weekly and monthly trading meetings.
- Test & Repeat Trading: Drive the Test and Repeat Model to trade the designated area.
- Category Ownership: Own an area or category within the business and proactively manage it from a sales, profitability, and stock perspective.
- Meeting Contribution: Be a voice by giving informed opinions in all meetings on how to drive the area forward with a can-do attitude.
- Buying Management: Manage with guidance to ensure that the buying function is effectively controlled within the agreed business strategy, with all necessary frameworks, controls, and skill sets in place for long-term planning and in-season trading.
- Performance Review: Review daily and weekly sales performance and carry out rebuy and markdown actions.
- Trading Analysis: Review over- and under-performance at product group level and drive trading actions to maximise potential and minimise risk.
- WSSI Management: Seed and manage a WSSI by accurately forecasting demand, OTB, returns, AVSP, and margin.
- Critical Path Oversight: Take ownership of critical path management and take appropriate action on issues when they arise.
- Reporting Improvement: Prepare trading reports and packs and make recommendations for reporting improvements across the B&M function, implementing changes.
- Strategic Planning: Take a strategic approach to driving the department forward through strategy and framework plans.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Continue to work closely with QC, Design, and build on supplier relations.
- Team Mentoring: Mentor and coach junior members of the team.
- Strategic Contribution: Be fully aware of the principles and contribute to the overall business strategy.