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.