Job Description

Trading Merchandiser
Company Summary:

“The world’s finest cashmere, sensibly priced and expertly crafted

into beautiful, modern styles to make you feel special and look
terrific”
That was the goal when Nick Falkingham founded Pure Collection fourteen years ago and it
remains at the heart of what we do today.

Since our beginning in 2002 Pure Collection has become one of the largest independent direct
and online retailers of cashmere in the world. Today we sell over 700,000 pieces a year with
boutiques in Tunbridge Wells, York, Reigate, Guildford, Marlow, Northcote Road - London,
Chichester and within concessions in John Lewis stores.

We’ve grown in other ways too.

When our customers asked us for beautiful clothes to complement Pure Collection cashmere, we
launched our successful women’s wear range. That was in 2007 and we haven’t looked back
since. This collection of clothing and accessories are designed with the same luxury philosophy as
our cashmere collection.

The business has evolved from a classic start up to a dynamic, fast paced and highly respected
organisation, led by an established team of highly qualified experts and professionals. In 2015 our
turnover exceeded £40m from a database of over 400,000 customers. Our ambition is to grow to
£100m turnover over the next 5 years and be recognised as a well respected truly multinational
company.

We call Harrogate in North Yorkshire our home. This beautiful spa town, close to the Dales. has
helped to attract some of the best talent in the industry with its sophisticated shops, restaurants
and beautiful surroundings it provides a wonderful setting in which to work.

For more information about Harrogate see attached document

To find out more about our story, see our company website.
 Title: Senior Trading Merchandiser

Reporting to: Director of Merchandise and Retail

Direct Reports: 1

Key Responsibilities
To deliver seasonal product sales, stock and margin across catalogue and web channels
in line with budget and agreed in-season reforecast estitmates.
To manage inventory and terminal stock control, stock availability and SKU count in line
with business targets.
To develop a markdown plan for mid- season and end of season stocks that acheives the
MO/Web KPI targets
To provide the business with clarity about product performance through data and analysis
to enable effective decision making on daily, weekly and monthly basis
To work in collaboration with Retail teams to maximise sales and profit across all channels
To work with marketing colleagues to create the promotional plan for in-season MO/Web
trading, inputting into the weekly email plan.
To propose commercial tactics and strategies to maximise MO/Web performance
To lead the Assistant Merchandiser/Merchandise Assistant to deliver his/her objectives
As a senior member of the team, support and guide more junior colleagues in their day to
day work and priorities.

Key Activities
Propose detailed in season forecast of demand and returns at style colour level and
propose re-buys in conjunction with planning team
Propose yarn/fabric commitments where appropriate and manage in season in conjunction
with plannign team
Manage the weekly re-forecasting of MO product performance and propose appropriate
actions in light of performance
Provide in season data, product analysis and reporting to the business highlighting issues,
challenges and opportunities
Develop terminal stock disposal plan (includingThird parties) to maximise business
profitability and minimise customer file exposure as set out in the budget.
Propose the product mix and discount levels to achieve the markdown plan, working
closely with marketing colleagues to maximise response and profitability
In conjunction with the Director, be the key contact into 3rd parties with regular face to face
updates.
Develop strong cross functional relationships with colleagues who have a direct impact on
in-season trading eg warehouse, marketing, Customer Services
Prepare the Monday trade pack & present at meeting and take outputs to follow up and
respond
Working with the Director, prepare the monthly board trading report in respect of data and
analysis in respect of product sales, stock, margin, returns and other relevent KPIs.
Ideal Experience
Multi-channel merchandising expertise at Senior Merchandiser level. Ideally has good
experience of merchandising own sourced products.
Experience of real accountability to senior management for sales, stock and margin
including terminal stock
Communicate with impact – the possession of strong presentation, public speaking and
written communication skills together with excellent verbal articulation and the ability to
actively listen

Ideal Characteristics
Strong commercial acumen – the ability to provide judgement and clarity of thought in a
strong commercially driven environment
Team player – the ability to influence colleagues across different departments and at all
levels of the business to ensure results whilst bringing people along the journey in a
collegiate, respectful and united manner
Change management – the innate ability to embrace change
Innovate – the continuous improvement that comes from looking for ways to experiment
and drive new learning, translating the insights into proposals that positively impact on
improving business performance
Feel for product – the possession of a feeling and instinct for the customer, the product
and the changing trends affecting product performance
Demonstrate smart but considered risk taking and a strong entrepreneurial spirit
Attention to detail and accuracy
Have integrity, confidence and assertiveness with a positive self-motivated and outgoing
personality and be adaptable and flexible when appropriate
Non-hierarchical personality – not ego or status driven. Pure is a non-political
environment and we work hard to keep it this way
Decision maker and problem solver
Analytical and results driven

Note: This job description is to be used as a guide only. Changes may occur as
the department changes and grows.
Our Core Values, location and
Contact Details
Our Core Values

At Pure Collection we live and breathe our core values. They are the glue that cements our
culture together and they help us achieve great things.

Integrity and Respect

We demonstrate honesty and fairness in every action we take.

Customer Experience
The customer’s needs and wants and our brand values are always at the heart of
everything we do and say.

Innovation
To enable us to continually excite our customer we adopt a pioneering spirit, we embrace
change and we encourage creative thinking in all areas.

Accountability
We accept responsibility for our actions and decisions as a team of individuals.

People
We seek opportunities to develop our people and provide tools, support and the
environment to help individuals reach their potential.

Personality
We are naturally positive, enthusiastic, passionate, straightforward, warm and friendly.
Our Location

We are based close to the centre of the beautiful Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate. If
you are not currently living somewhere commutable to us, we have put together 10
reasons why you will love to live and work here.

Yorkshire is known as “God’s own country” and is quite simply a great place to
live and work. Harrogate, is widely known as the UK’s most popular spa town,
and we believe it is the jewel in the crown.

Harrogate offers the best of both worlds, the sophistication of urban living along
with the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales and the North Yorkshire Moors. It really is
an ideal place to live and work.

We have excellent rail links to York and Leeds (dubbed the Knightsbridge of the
North) and we are only ten miles from Leeds Bradford Airport.

Harrogate is a much sought-after residential area with many beautiful period

and modern properties. These are found both in the town centre and in the easily
accessible, highly attractive outlying villages and towns, all offering the cachet of
North Yorkshire living.

The commute from many of the outlying villages into Harrogate makes a
welcome change to city life. A tractor or a family of ducks crossing the road may
delay your journey by a few minutes and, although the very centre of Harrogate is
not without its parking and traffic problems, life is friendlier, more family
orientated and the Yorkshire triangle (York, Harrogate and Ilkley) contain some
of the best properties and locations that the county has to offer.

Harrogate boasts first-rate schools in both the state and independent sector,
providing excellent choice and quality.

We have a thriving retail and cultural scene with many independently-owned

art and craft galleries, along with high end retail names and individual boutiques –
sure to satisfy even the most discerning shopper.

Since the discovery of the first water spring in the 1500s, Harrogate has held a
fascination for residents and visitors alike who can enjoy its magnificent
architecture, beautiful parks, gardens and tree-lined streets as well as the
much-loved Stray – 200 acres of town centre grassland protected by its very
own Act of Parliament, within walking distance from the Pure Head Office.

In Harrogate you can relax in the utterly magnificent Victorian Turkish Baths,
take in the glories of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Harlow Carr Garden and
finish the day off in true Harrogate style with a Fat Rascal afternoon tea in
Betty’s Tea Rooms before soaking up the ambience of Harrogate’s thriving
theatre. There are also 5 Michelin starred restaurants in the county as well as a
fine choice of other restaurants and bars – in a nutshell, it’s very easy to enjoy
just being here.

It really is a great place to call home and we are sure that once you get here
you really won’t want to move!
 Whilst we require some commitment from you, in return we offer a friendly working
environment and competitive salary package in addition to a Performance Related Annual
Bonus, 31- 36 days holiday, Company Pension scheme, excellent staff discount and if that’s
not enough, we even give you the day off on your birthday!

If you feel that you have the skills and attributes required for this role, and you are excited by
the prospect of being part of a rapidly growing business, then we’d really love to hear from
you.

Contact Details

Lesley Barrett
HR Administrator
Phone No.01423 852 327
lesley.barrett@purecollection.com
Thank You