Senior Manager - Brand

Job description / Role

Position objective

• Responsible for overall brand development and implementation to maximize sales and profit.
• Develop strategies for brand penetration and positioning within the region to build the brand’s image in the market.

Key responsibilities

Brand growth and profitability

• Maximize sales and profitability of brand stores in line with company targets.
• Develop the brand launch strategy in consultation with the brand general manager.
• Control costs within budgetary guidelines for brand stores.
• Maximize store productivity through effective deployment of resources, ensuring complete sell-through in line with brand product, style, and assortment plans.
• Review feedback from territories on brand acceptance and customer expectations.
• Ensure adherence to the financial plan across all key areas, including sales, markdowns, margin, and average inventory.
• Develop brand positioning in consultation with the marketing team and the brand principal or brand general manager.
• Participate in the recruitment and training of team members.

Brand merchandise planning and product selection

• Assess merchandise requirements for the assigned brand by setting sourcing triggers based on actual sales, sales forecasts, company order parameters, inventory checks, forthcoming events, and replenishment needs.
• Develop the merchandise plan with the team, including pricing, promotions, and assortment, to ensure timely stock availability in stores.
• Determine buying requirements and formulate the buying plan and budget.
• Select products in coordination with buying requirements and product research.
• Ensure effective in-season management across territories, including stock balancing, markdown management, stock analysis, and stock-versus-sales performance.

Brand image

• Build awareness of the Club Apparel brand.
• Coordinate with retail operations to gather feedback on retail and brand operations.
• Develop the visual merchandising strategy for stores and ensure its implementation.

Market and competition research

• Gather market intelligence from various sources and analyze trends that may affect the business.
• Research brand acceptance within the region and in new territories, identifying any required brand customizations.
• Map competitor prices and products, and provide qualitative insights to the business.
• Research potential sites for brand outlets and discuss them with the operations manager and general manager.
• Research the latest trends in products, brands, styles, designs, and fits.

Projects and administration

• Evaluate selected sites based on factors such as trade area, customer base, and additional merchandising considerations, and obtain internal approvals.
• Coordinate new store openings and refits with the operations and projects teams.
• Ensure brand outlet locations align with the brand strategy and positioning.
• Ensure adherence to the store opening plan.

About the Company

The Apparel Group is a global fashion and lifestyle brand conglomerate residing on the crossroads of a modern economy - Dubai, UAE. The mercurial growth in the last 17 years has been by acquiring a host of world class fashion labels from around the world - Nine West, Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Aldo & Tim Hortons just to name a few.

Today the group caters to thousands of eager shoppers through its over 1530 stores, 75 International brands and employing 12,000 multi cultural staff in over 4 continents. Apparel believes in turning dreams in to reality and we give everyone - our customers, our stakeholders, our employees - an equal opportunity to do so.

Apparel group has carved its strong presence not only in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia but opened thriving gateways to market in India, South Africa, Poland, Singapore, Jordan, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Additionally, clear strategies are in place to enter emerging markets such as Hungary, Pakistan, Egypt and Philippines.