Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. is the leading and only global company that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Founded in 1997, the company currently operates more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop® stores worldwide, including company-owned stores in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland. We are proud to have been recognised as a Times "Top 100 Best Companies to Work For®" for 3 years.
The Merchandising & Marketing Manager is responsible for influencing and delivering integrated merchandising and marketing strategies that drive sales, enhance brand experience, and optimise product performance. This commercial role combines commercial merchandising leadership with brand and campaign execution to ensure a consistent and compelling customer journey across all channels.
This role requires collaboration at the highest-level building robust and effective partnerships with a variety of business functions including North American merchandising, planning and marketing partners along with corporate and partner operated Operations Teams.
Responsibilities:
Merchandising
- Develop and implement merchandising strategies and tactics to maximise sales, profitability, and customer engagement, whilst optimising inventory status.
- Analyse sales data, customer behaviour, and market trends to influence product assortment, buying and inventory planning.
- Manage inventory levels and product availability to ensure the product / right place / right time, with the allocation team.
- Oversee visual merchandising standards and ensure stores present a consistent, high-quality brand experience.
- Create clear direction for the merchandising of bespoke locations such as tourist and partner-operated stores.
- Ownership of the UK & Ireland floor set plans and their excellent execution.
- Attend all relevant milestone meetings such as buy reviews, representing and providing specific UK market input, producing commercial summaries for the Operations Director and Senior Managing Director.
- Monitor product performance and provide recommendations to the leadership team on corrective actions.
- Partner with product development on local cohort product development, with ownership of the line lists and buys for all EU location specific product.
- Weekly / monthly reporting and analysis on all relevant sales and inventory reports, with contribution in all relevant commercial / trade meetings.
Marketing
- Influence, develop and execute geographically appropriate marketing strategies and campaigns to increase brand awareness, brand engagement, and to drive footfall and sales.
- Provide the NA marketing team with recommendations on promotional activity, in-store events, and product launches to grow traffic and optimise sales performance.
- Work with internal teams and / or external agencies to deliver creative campaigns and marketing materials.
- Attend all relevant milestone meetings, representing and providing specific UK & Ireland market input.
- Manage UK & Ireland marketing content across channels (in-store, digital, social, and campaigns).
- Analyse campaign performance and adjust activity to maximise ROI.
- Ensure brand consistency across all communications and customer touchpoints.
- Project Leadership, direction and management.
- Providing weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual performance metrics and analysis, to help identify opportunities for sales and margin growth.
- Any other reasonable duty as requested by the Ops Director / SMD.
Required Qualifications:
- Degree (or equivalent experience) in Marketing, Business, Retail, or a related field.
- Relevant experience in retail, FMCG, or consumer-facing environment.
- 3 years of commercial experience in a generalist retail role.
Behavioral Traits for Success:
- An innovative thinker who is undaunted by failure.
- Objective approach to problems and obstacles with the confidence to solve them in rapidly changing circumstances.
- Able to add value across functions with partners at multiple levels.
- Models personal and professional integrity, with a powerful, motivational work ethic.
- Ambitious and success oriented.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Highly organized and planful, flexible and adaptable.
- Strong commercial awareness with a customer-focused mindset.
- Intellectually curious regarding competitor activity and market trends to identify opportunities.
- Drive continuous improvement through data-led decision making.
Working Environment:
- Based at the UK Corporate Office, in Slough.
- Occasional travel may be required to the UK and Ireland stores, GXO 3PL, and to Global Corporate offices.
- Hybrid working is available as per the current UKBQ Working Policy.
Your Performance will be measured on:
Your ability to achieve annual department objectives and corporate goals which include but are not limited to the following:
- Achieving department / personal goals and objectives
- Embodying Build-A-Bear’s core values
- Analysis, decision-making, judgment, and execution
- UK/ Ireland Sales Performance Metrics (Sales, DPT, UPT, AUR)
- New product performance
- Stock availability, exit strategy and inventory optimisation
- Store presentation consistency
- Delivery of seasonal and promotional marketing plans
This description is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities. Supervisors may assign additional functions and requirements as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent an expressed or implied contract of employment, nor does it alter your at-will employment, and Build-A-Bear, Inc. reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as may deem appropriate.
