The VP, Divisional Merchandising Manager (DMM) plays a critical leadership role on the Foot Locker team. The position requires an entrepreneurial mix of strategy development and vision, deep financial business acumen, strong experience across merchandising functions, consumer-focus, and the ability to lead a large team. The DMM leads buying and cross-functional teams in creating a consumer-focused product strategy and ensuring executional excellence to serve consumers the best in sneaker culture, while maximizing sales and profit. The DMM supports the Company’s LaceUp Strategy and creates value for all Stakeholders through Expanding Sneaker Culture, Powering Up the Portfolio, Deepening Relationships with Customers and being Best-in-Class Omni. This position will be focused on Women/Kids Footwear.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategy Development & Execution
• Build consumer preference for Foot Locker by creating a product vision in short, mid and long-term merchandising strategies to deliver the company’s financial targets, drive market leadership, and build consumer preference.
• Led pre-season and in-season merchandising vision and strategy, ensuring teams are executing at a high-level to deliver plans.
• Innovate and drive best practices to create a world-class buying function that supports the company’s broader goals of growth and profitability.
• Create long-range vendor plans, partnering with vendors to fulfill the vision.
• Partner with Planning & Allocation teams to lead the merchandise planning process, creating 3-year, annual, and seasonal plans, best practices, and ways of work that drive financial results and best serve consumers.
• Ensure teams are thoughtfully managing product lifecycles, from trend identification through profitable scaling.
• Utilize deep financial business acumen to ensure teams are executing at a high level, pivoting when needed, and constantly challenging themselves to exceed consumer and company expectations.
Vendor Relationships
• Build deep relationships and trust with vendor community, creating competitive advantage through marketplace leadership and ensuring favorable reputation in the industry.
• Negotiate with vendors on quantity, delivery deadlines, and price, to maximize profits and surpass goals.
Marketplace Distinction
• With a keen eye for trends and strong understanding of the consumer, lead buying team to define the product assortment, identify new trends and brands, and create competitive advantage by leading the market with a product offering that validates our position as the best in sneaker culture.
• Identify white space and create a vision for growth.
Consumer-Focus
• Leverage insights, data, and research to feed a curiosity about the consumer and utilize these insights to build merchandising strategies and plans.
• Partner with the Marketing team to develop program ideas that are grounded in product buys which drive consumer excitement and sell through. Lead the buying team in the identification of opportunities to tell exciting and commercially relevant product stories across channels. Ensure close collaboration of teams throughout the Go To Market process to execute the vision.
• Partner with Visual Merchandising and Ecommerce teams to ensure product vision comes to life in the optimal way to excite consumer and drive results in both stores and online.
People Development & Leadership
• Proven leadership experience in building the capability of the team by developing individuals that are can meet current and future objectives, building a talent bench and succession, and fostering strong engagement.
• Provide honest, objective feedback of individual team member’s strengths and weaknesses, and identify training and on-the-job opportunities for growth and professional development. Lead the department’s annual performance review and succession processes.
• Create an environment where team members feel empowered to take calculate risks and bold bets, learning from mistakes and continually challenging themselves to do more.
REQUIREMENTS:
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a specialty retail environment (Footwear preferred).
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, fashion merchandising, marketing or equivalency required.
• Career history that combines progressive buying and merchandising roles.
• Strong partnership skills, with experience working closely with top national brands.
• Demonstrated track record of creating merchandising strategy, motivating teams, and achieving results through cross-functional collaboration and functional excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to “raise the bar” in terms of performance and revenue growth, within a fast-paced environment.
• Proven influencing and negotiating skills both internally and externally.
• Proven ability to capitalize on trends, meet the needs of consumers through superior product assortments, along with deep financial acumen to drive business results.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated strength in building, coaching, and developing high-performing teams.
ABOUT WSS:
WSS is the premier footwear retailer in the U.S. doing business in neighborhood-based stores. Consumers trust WSS for the best brands, greatest values and largest selection of athletic, dress, fashion, and casual footwear for the entire family. Our large store format enables us to showcase thousands of styles from top brands like Nike, Jordan, Vans, Converse, Adidas, Puma, Skechers, etc. In addition, WSS carries high quality private brands augmenting the breadth of selection to deliver amazing value to our customers.
Founded in Southern California in 1984 by entrepreneur Eric Alon, all WSS stores feature a unique retail format that displays every style and size. This allows customers to browse on their terms, in a hassle-free environment, engaging the friendly and knowledgeable sales staff when they choose. The success of this business model has allowed WSS to continue its rapid expansion into new markets. WSS currently operates stores throughout California, Nevada, Arizona, and Texas. October 2021 WSS was acquired by Foot Locker, Inc. WSS is now proudly one of Foot Locker’s banners under the WSS name.
WSS is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment.
