Merchandise Director

CSC Generation Holdings family of brands is an Altos Ventures backed technology company that is saving retail by acquiring store and catalog-based retailers, and transforming them into high performing, “digital first” brands. In just four years, we’ve acquired and turned around brands including: Sur La Table, Direct Buy, One Kings Lane and Touch of Modern saving thousands of jobs.

We are seeking a strategic and dynamic Director of Merchandising to lead our merchandising team and drive the development and execution of merchandising strategies across all our brands. Reporting to the brand President, the Director of Merchandising will play a pivotal role in shaping our product assortments, driving sales, increasing contribution margins and overall brand profitability.

What you get to do every day:

• Develop and implement merchandising strategies that align with company objectives, market trends, and customer preferences.
• Lead the planning and selection of product assortments across categories and channels, ensuring alignment with brand positioning and customer needs. Develop new product categories/subcategories to increase total market share.
• Establish and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers, negotiate favorable costs/terms, and collaborate on product development and sourcing initiatives.
• Oversee inventory planning and forecasting in partnership with vendor partners to ensure that delivery times quoted to customers are achieved.
• Develop pricing strategies and promotional plans to drive sales and maximize profitability, leveraging data analysis and market insights.
• Conduct market research, analyze consumer trends, and monitor competitor activities to identify opportunities and threats in the marketplace.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, sales, finance, and operations, to align merchandising efforts with overall business objectives and customer facing communication. Ensure that the merchandise strategy is consistent across all marketing channels.
• Build and lead a high-performing merchandising team, providing guidance, coaching, and support to drive performance and professional growth.
• Reconfirm key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the effectiveness of merchandising initiatives, analyze performance data, and identify areas for improvement.
• Utilize data to drive top line and bottom-line growth across the assortment, with a proven record of setting good strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and optimize merchandising operations.

What you bring to the role:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Merchandising, or related experience
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in merchandising, product management, or related roles, with demonstrated success in developing and executing merchandising strategies.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams.
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking abilities, with a deep understanding of consumer behavior and market dynamics.
• Proven track record of vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Proficiency in data analysis and utilization of relevant tools and technologies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive compensation
• Medical/Dental/Vision benefits through Greenshield- Health Benefits 100% employer paid
• Company provided Life Insurance equal to one year salary
• RRSP matching
• 3 weeks’ vacation + 5 Paid Sick Days
• Birthday off with pay
• Paid holidays

What our interview process looks like:

Depending on the position, our application and interview process may vary, but here are some of the ways we get to know you better: