Junior Merchandiser

**About us**

Papersmiths is the shop of your stationery dreams. We specialise in stationery and paper goods, bringing together the goods to inspire and tools to create.

Alongside our own stationery, you'll find our handpicked favourites from designers and makers across the globe.

Our stores are in our favourite shopping neighbourhoods in the UK. Our flagship is on Pavilion Road, five minutes walk from Sloane Square station. You'll also find us in Brighton's North Laine and at Coal Drop's Yard, King's Cross.

**The Role**

Papersmiths is looking for a Merchandiser to work alongside our Creative Director. It's an exciting, evolving role with plenty of potential for growth as we build the Papersmiths brand.

There will be a combination of remote working from home with co-working with our Creative Director in London, close to London Bridge, and in our Brighton co-working space (it's under a five minute walk from the main station).

The role can be full-time or part-time depending on your skillset. Salary dependent on your experience and the scope of the role.

It’s an ideal role for someone analytical with meticulous attention to detail, excellent numerical understanding and spreadsheet skills. Would suit someone with assistant merchandising experience who is looking to progress and have more ownership.

The role has two areas of focus:
1) To own the product journey across PO placement, tracking, stock distribution, sales analysis and reporting, quality control, supplier relationships, internal communications and administration. You’ll have full responsibility of the process.

2) To work collaboratively with the Creative Director on the buying and merchandising strategy to deliver a compelling collection of stationery, books and paper goods.

Alongside our Creative Director, you’ll strengthen our merchandising with your analytical mind and data driven know-how. You’ll support in expanding and developing a commercially successful range, through a strategy that maximises sales and profitability without compromising on our eclectic offering. You’ll identify risks and opportunities and make decisions that are data supported, considered, and reactive when required.

Once established in your role, you’ll have the opportunity to take on more ownership.

**Your key responsibilities**:
**Purchase Orders & Distribution**

Full ownership and responsibility for the product journey including:

- Placing orders
- Establish and maintain internal tracking systems to ensure orders are delivered in a timely manner with clear communication of delivery schedules to stores
- Ensure all new deliveries are quality controlled as soon as they arrive into the business and take appropriate action when required.
- Manage inventory and distribute stock to our stores from our HQ

**Budget**
- Work to annual and quarterly budgets
- Work alongside accounts to set and manage budgets and spend while being conscious of cashflow
- Accurate price maintenance and invoice checking to protect margin
- Maintain up to-date knowledge of competitors, considering pricing and product
- Pricing reviews and price setting
- Negotiate prices with suppliers to improve margin
- Plan and implement sales and promotions

**Product Inventory**
- Create and maintain articles accurately, including adding key product details and imagery
- Create and maintain our image libraries, working with supplier images and our own images
- Responsibility for the product submissions process
- Maintain an accurate inventory and minimise discrepancies through collaboration with the store and stock room teams
- Manage the sample process and work with suppliers to time delivery of samples for photography

**Reporting**
- Create KPI led sales reports, monitor performance and analyse sales data, reporting weekly and monthly
- Specific reporting on product performance and store performance
- Identify issues and opportunities based on data
- Agree and implement necessary action, with support of the team

**Strategy & Implementation**

Work alongside our Creative Director to create a commercially driven strategy.

Implement the strategy within the business through:

- Updates on new launches, collections and trends for the store and e-commerce teams
- Creation of visual merchandising guides
- Building strong relationships with suppliers, the Creative Director, our Store Managers and E-commerce team

**Organisation**
- Review and prioritise your workload weekly
- Regularly update our Creative Director on progress, issues and changes to work priorities
- Administrative support to our Creative Director in the areas of buying and product development
- Order office supplies and packaging
- Office organisation, tidying and filing

**Requirements**:

- Significant experience in a merchandising role is essential for this role (minimum two years)
- Ideally you’ll have multi-channel experience, buying for both bricks and mortar and e-commerce
- A desire to progress and take on more r