V&C Associates has been retained by clients within the fashion, luxury and retail sectors with live requirements for senior merchandising expertise on a fractional, interim and project basis.
We are seeking accomplished Merchandise professionals for current assignments with established brands / scaling businesses / investor-backed retailers, where senior merchandising judgement is required now. Engagements range from advisory input of a few days to interim leadership assignments of several months.
These are substantive appointments for senior professionals with distinguished careers in merchandising leadership who wish to continue applying that experience through flexible, defined engagements rather than permanent employment. Candidates appointed to these assignments will additionally join V&C Associates’ core network of senior merchandising leaders, through whom future mandates of this nature will be fulfilled.
Scope of Engagements
Assignments will typically encompass some or all of the following:
- Open-to-buy management — setting and controlling OTB by category; balancing commitment against forecast; identifying opportunity and managing stock risk in season
- WSSI development and management — building or professionalising the WSSI/MSSI; monthly reforecasting of sales, stock, intake and markdown; embedding it as the trading discipline of the business
- Trading — leading weekly trade reviews; directing repeat buys, markdown and promotional activity; tactical repositioning in response to performance
- Supplier negotiations — commercial terms, cost prices, lead times and rebates; supplier base restructuring; intake scheduling and delivery performance management
- Merchandise financial planning — seasonal budgets across sales, stock, intake, markdown and margin; category strategy and KPI frameworks
- Range and assortment planning — range width and depth architecture, option planning and phasing across channels
- Stock management — stock turn, cover, availability, terminal stock and clearance strategy; replenishment models for continuity lines
- Margin delivery — intake margin improvement, markdown efficiency and contribution performance
- Capability development — mentoring merchandising teams, establishing ways of working, and supporting planning-system selection and implementation
- Broader commercial projects including turnarounds, wholesale-to-DTC transitions, international expansion and new category launches
Candidate Profile
- A distinguished track record at Merchandise Director, Head of Merchandising or Merchandising Controller level within fashion, apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty or adjacent retail
- Comprehensive, hands-on command of WSSI and open-to-buy disciplines
- Proven commercial authority working alongside buying, finance and executive leadership
- Experience across multiple business models — for example high street, premium or luxury, pure-play e-commerce and wholesale — is advantageous
- Availability for fractional, interim or project-based engagements
- Based in the United Kingdom
About V&C Associates
V&C Associates is a boutique executive search consultancy founded in 2013, specialising in the fashion, luxury, beauty, lifestyle, travel and hospitality sectors.
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