Our clients, top-leading retail brands, with their expansion in Hong Kong and Asia Pacific, are looking for suitable candidates for Regional Category / Product / Buying Manager- Wholesale (Sports / Outdoor Apparel / Footwear) to join their growing team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work close with Asia countries to develop merchandise plan by understanding future trends, analyzing current business and collecting feedback.
• Keep relevant departments & affiliated offices informed of key global product initiatives. Liaise with involved parties to ensure those initiatives are launched according to agreed plan.
• In partnership with head office product management teams, identify potential gaps through the line plan; make recommendations for improving the assortment for the market.
• Review seasonal assortments relative to the merchandise plan and ensure they can meet company targets.
• Responsible for preparing market presentations with line and product direction, style assortments and pricing.
• Review sell-in and sell-through on a regional and country level. Monitor and analyze sales performance & inventory levels by market.
• Provides core and seasonal product knowledge support to Retail Operations to drive sales and service, and generate excitement within the retail channels
• Communicates closely with Retail, wholesale and Asia partners and other stakeholders to continually understand buying trends, developments amongst competitors, consumer insights, etc.
• Work close with Asia country team members toward business and profitability objectives; monitor progress against objectives and define strategies to correct problems as they arise.
• Drives continuous improvement of Merchandising systems and processes (sales and sell-through analysis and forecasting; hindsight studies; style and size analysis; competitive/market intelligence; pricing research) to optimize the business.
• Anticipate and plan for future business needs.
• Work close with countries to prepare sales meeting and provide product support

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor degree preferred
• Minimum 4 years all-rounded merchandising experience
• Previous working experience in outdoor hardware brands or retailer is a must.
• Regional office experience will be ideal
• Experience working with or for outdoor brands and retailers is a must
• Intense interest in outdoor or sport branding / retailing
• Creative, visionary and able to clearly articulate product point-of-view
• Collaborative with ability to work across functions and in concert with region and global counterparts
• Excellent in Chinese & English are required
• Ability to travel internationally as needed – up to 30% of time

Interested Applicants please send your full resume (in Word format) together with present and expected salary to Ivan Lo:

Email: ivanlo @ pplesearch.com

**Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a more detailed discussion**