Director of Merchandising

ABOUT US:

Since 1951, Maui Varieties, Ltd., parent company of HouseMart Ace Hardware, and Ben Franklin Crafts retail stores, has taken pride in providing the products and services that meet the needs of our local communities. As a family-owned business for more than 65 years, the HouseMart brand strives to serve as a symbol of family values, exceptional service and commitment to providing the products our customers need.

HouseMart is a third generation family-owned business. With a vision “to become the best operating chain of independent craft and hardware stores in the country,” the HouseMart retail operation has grown to a medium-sized, multi-state business consisting of 30 stores and employing over 550 employees in Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Kansas. We look forward to further expansion of our business into the next generation and beyond, while still operating under the same family values. The company has diversified business interests and partnerships in other areas such as Daiso stores with license exclusivity in Hawaii, international partnerships, logistics and STEM educational programs.

SUMMARY:

The Director of Merchandising sets the direction of the Company’s merchandise strategies to maximize company sales and profits through effective direction and management of all aspects of product procurement, merchandising and marketing. Responsible for inspiring and encouraging new ideas and products to spark creativity and excitement in our customers, this position is vital to the shopping experience and productivity of our assortments.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Think and behave in alignment with the Company’s vision, mission, goals, objectives and core values.
• Lead and manage the daily operations of the Merchandising department. Participate in the budgeting process, establish objectives, strategies and processes for department. Develop and implement projects to improve processes.
• Effectively hires, develops and manages the performance of direct reports including, but not limited to; Category Managers, Creative Director, Graphic Designers, Logistics/Freight and Order Processing Team. Train, support and mentor subordinates to meet job performance expectations.
• Analyze sales trends, price and quality of merchandise. Lead cross-functional teams to ensure assortments are correct, financial plans and allocations are appropriate and open-to-buy and inventory levels are met. Develop strategies to build product assortments and manage promotional campaigns to achieve financial targets.
• Ensure the execution of promotions both strategically and tactically to drive the top and bottom line while increasing marketing and sales efforts in stores. Evaluate campaigns based on frequency and budget. Seek to understand e-commerce and continuously work to set HouseMart apart from the competition in product assortment and customer experience.
• Evaluate available space for appropriate stock levels, proper lineal foot ratio, and other measurable data from reports. Determine actions for carry-over merchandise. Partner with Category Managers and cross-functional team members to be proactive in setting a course to achieve metrics and assess high and low performers.
• Coach and mentor Category Managers in creating basic, seasonal and promotional product assortments. Demonstrate creativity and understand trends. Direct efforts to bring the HouseMart brand to customers through interactions and experiences that create emotional connections. Actively engage and support product development and sourcing of quality products that bring value to our customers and profits to the company.
• Actively negotiate the best price, quality, and value for our customers. Seek to understand other’s position and points of view and work to increase the benefits for all. Negotiate for the long term. Manage vendor, agent, and factory relationships to drive business, improve sales and productivity.
• Visit company stores to evaluate achievement of company standards and merchandising plan. Plan and communicate introduction of new products to store teams through active communication, coaching, encouraging ideas to “create the need” for the products, and utilization of planograms.
• This position requires up to 30% travel and may require working occasional weekends (e.g. Trade shows, neighbor island, domestic and international travel, etc.) to meet desired objectives.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field
• Minimum 5-10 years retail industry experience. Additional experience in buying, merchandising, assorting, and promotional planning is preferred.
• Craft and/or hardware experience is preferred
• Experience analyzing sales trends and customer buying preferences
• Marketing and Advertising Experience preferred.
• Experience with imported items is desirable
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of cross-functional teams

Please respond with a resume and cover letter to apply for the position. If qualified, we will contact you regarding this job opportunity.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Drug Free Company