Head Buyer & Merchandiser

As the Head Buyer & Merchandiser at Love Letter, a fast-growing fashion and jewelry brand, you will play a pivotal role in driving the brand's next phase of growth by combining commercial planning and operational excellence. Your responsibilities will span from range planning to buying and post-launch performance, working closely with the founder to ensure every product decision enhances Love Letter's commercial success and brand positioning. You will need to blend a strong fashion sensibility with analytical and commercial acumen, have a keen eye for both Indian and international fashion markets, and excel in a high-SKU, high-growth environment. **Key Responsibilities:** - **Trend & Product Strategy** - Collaborate with the founder to define the seasonal and long-term product roadmap aligned with brand vision and market trends. - Track and interpret emerging fashion trends to create winning, brand-right collections. - Identify whitespace opportunities and develop product capsules around key trend directions. - Ensure high-margin, trend-relevant collections with efficient costing and delivery timelines for profitability and agility. - Oversee vendor coordination and product launch readiness. - **Merchandising, Planning & Analytics** - Own range planning, assortment optimization, and lifecycle management for all SKUs. - Utilize data-driven insights for reorders, replenishments, and rationalization of underperforming SKUs. - Conduct regular business reviews to evaluate sell-through, margin, and stock health. - Develop pricing and margin strategy in collaboration with the founder. - Lead the Open-to-Buy (OTB) process to balance inventory investment with revenue targets. - **Cross-Functional Collaboration** - Align product flows with sales plans and campaign calendars. - Partner with creative teams to guide campaigns and drops based on product data and trends. - Provide support to marketplace and consignment partners for product planning and inventory allocation. - Ensure timely catalog planning, markdowns, and in-season reactivity across all channels. - **Performance Management** - Track category performance and recommend necessary actions like repeats, reorders, markdowns, or exits. - Monitor competitor offerings and pricing for market positioning. - Analyze key performance indicators (KPIs) such as sales, margin, sell-through, and inventory turnover to drive growth and efficiency. - Assist in the implementation of new systems, planning tools, and process improvements. **Skills & Experience:** - 6+ years of experience in fashion buying, merchandising, or category leadership, preferably in accessories, jewelry, lifestyle, or apparel. - Proven track record of building commercially successful, trend-led product assortments. - Strong analytical and inventory-planning skills, proficient in Excel, analytics dashboards, and forecasting tools. - Excellent vendor negotiation skills and a reliable sourcing network. - Demonstrated success in leading design, buying, or merchandising teams. - Ability to excel in a dynamic, high-growth, digital-first retail environment. - Bonus: Familiarity with AI-driven product planning or demand forecasting tools. **Preferred Background:** - Accessories/Apparel Buying & Merchandising experience. - Undergraduate degree and/or Masters degree in Fashion Merchandising / Retail Management.,