Category Manager - Buying & Merchandising - Footwear

SUMMARY

To lead the Footwear category by offering the right assortment aligned with customer preferences and market trends, ensuring achievement of budgeted targets (sales, margin, stock turns, and sell-through). The role focuses on driving category growth through innovation, range optimization, vendor partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration while adapting to evolving fashion trends and consumer behavior.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Product Planning

• Achieve category targets (sales, margin, stock turn, and sell-through) by developing a competitive and customer-relevant footwear assortment.
• Plan product launches ahead of seasons, ensuring timely execution of collections aligned with footwear trends, seasonal demands.
• Collaborate with the planning team to create assortments that balance style, price, and functionality for various consumer segments.
• Incorporate feedback from planning, retail operations, and customer insights to refine the range continuously.
• Ensure strict adherence to the buying calendar and pre-defined category milestones.
• Select product lines considering materials ,design elements, comfort features, price points, and value propositions.
• Finalize the product assortment and approve commercial selling prices to ensure competitiveness and profitability.

Market Focus and Strategy

• Understand customer behavior, aspirations, activity-based requirements, and lifestyle trends to translate them into category offerings.
• Conduct regular competitor analysis to stay informed of market pricing, offers, and assortment strategies.
• Bridge customer needs with product development by collaborating with designers and influencing the creative process with data-backed insights.
• Lead post-launch performance analysis, identify gaps, and implement corrective measures quickly.
• Work with the marketing team to highlight footwear launches through campaigns, influencer tie-ups, and digital platforms.
• Lead market visits with the team to study competitor offerings, customer footfall, and retail execution.

Vendor Management

• Build and nurture long-term partnerships with footwear vendors and manufacturers, ensuring a consistent supply chain.
• Develop a pipeline of alternative vendors to safeguard supply and enable category scalability.
• Orient vendors about the company’s expectations regarding design, quality, sustainability, and delivery schedules.
• Provide inputs for vendor evaluation based on quality, pricing, capacity, and reliability.
• Oversee order placement and approval of materials, styles, molds, and pre-production samples.
• Ensure on-time delivery and resolve escalations related to vendor delays, quality issues, or material shortages.
• Support vendors with order consolidation, cost optimization, and bulk buying strategies.
• Strengthen vendor relationships by building a collaborative and solution-oriented support system.

Financial Planning

• Manage and optimize the Open-to-Buy (OTB) budget for the Footwear category ensuring maximum ROI.
• Analyze costing structures, pricing strategies, and margin behavior to guide commercial decision-making.
• Lead vendor negotiations to achieve favorable commercial terms without compromising product quality.
• Monitor category performance to ensure budget discipline and profitability.

Product Presentation

• Work closely with the marketing and visual merchandising teams to ensure impactful footwear displays across all stores.
• Plan new product launches, effective space utilization, and suggest fixture improvements to enhance product visibility.
• Collaborate with retail teams to develop and review Planograms, ensuring consistent brand presentation.
• Drive initiatives to enhance in-store experience, making footwear displays attractive, accessible, and customer-friendly.

People Management

• Build, coach, and mentor a high-performing team to achieve category goals and develop footwear-specific expertise.
• Foster engagement, motivation, and ownership within the team.
• Identify and groom emerging leaders with footwear product knowledge, attention to detail, and merchandising insights.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration to enhance learning and execution.