Skills & Competencies for Top Merchandising Executive

Top Merchandising Executive job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Top Merchandising Executive

Oversees, plans, and directs all aspects of a retail organization's merchandise buying activities.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Top Merchandising Executive

Leads the development of product assortment strategies to meet customer demand and maximize sales and profits. Utilizes data analytics, forecasting, trend research, and sales performance to develop effective merchandising plans. Establishes methodologies and guidelines for merchandise pricing and markdowns. Develops new and manages the existing supply chain and vendor relationships.

Top Merchandising Executive SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$421,818
TOTAL 50%
$682,891
Job Level
M06
Job Code
EX05000028
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Top Management

Top Merchandising Executive Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Top Merchandising Executive skill and competencie below to view definitions.

5 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Top Merchandising Executive

1 Industry Competency – Retail Industry
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Applying comprehensive knowledge of retail principles, inventory management, pricing strategies, and consumer behavior to effectively manage and operate retail businesses.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains how omnichannel retail provides consistent and convenient shopping experience for customers.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows the established merchandising guidelines when organizing product displays and storage.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Conducts regular retail audits to optimize operations, improve performance, and uphold standards.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Guides and mentors the staff in visual merchandising best practices to maintain consistent and high-quality displays.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops and implements new retail business models to enhance the customer experience and foster brand loyalty.
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2 Industry Competency – Retail Strategy Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Developing and implementing retail strategies, to support the strategic decisions and actions that effectively enhance the sales and growth of an organization.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Identifies the factors that may impact retail strategies, including consumer preferences and macroeconomic influences.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows our organization's core values and objectives when managing the retail strategy.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements retail promotional plans and strategies to ensure customer loyalty and retention.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages the physical and digital retail strategies to deliver a multi-channel experience for customers.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Determines actionable visions and manageable strategies that may reach multiple customers in a retail landscape.
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3 Top Merchandising Executive - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Top Merchandising Executive

1 Job Family Competencies – Promotion
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Developing and implementing promotional activities to attract and increase the awareness of customers in buying products.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the principles of promotion and its importance to the marketing efforts.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Logs schedules for promotions in target accounts.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Helps senior management in developing promotional plans based on the product or service features.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leads the execution of promotional initiatives in accordance with the key metrics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops effective and innovative strategies for project promotion.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Supply Chain Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Managing the flow of goods and services required from raw materials to finished consumer products to improve profit margins.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains how supply chain management works in a distribution environment.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents and alerts the management of anomalies that impact supply chain activities.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements management programs to streamline the procurement process within the supply chain.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates processes and practices to identify cost efficiency opportunities and areas for improvement.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs a management system to track the effectiveness of the supply chain function across our organization.
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3 Top Merchandising Executive - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 5

11 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Top Merchandising Executive

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of our products and services.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Explains advantages and disadvantages of different organizational structures from an efficiency perspective.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Communicates financial insights that positively influence the business plan development process.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates and explains the financial aspects of a business initiative to different teams.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions organizational change and digital transformation to drive higher business performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Business Performance Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Applying business intelligence to monitor and manage overall business performance towards goals.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the integral role business performance management plays in an organization.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Gathers and compiles BPM-based data about our organization for quantitative information.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Describes operational changes that will lead to improved business performance.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leads management intervention to improve business functioning after data, mission, and goals review.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Drives the optimization of performance reporting structures and repeatable processes.
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3 Top Merchandising Executive - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Top Merchandising Executive
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Top Merchandising Executive skills and competencies

There are 5 hard skills for Top Merchandising Executive, Retail Industry, Retail Strategy Management, Merchandising, etc.
3 general skills for Top Merchandising Executive, Promotion, Supply Chain Management, Vendor Management.
11 soft skills for Top Merchandising Executive, Business Acumen, Business Performance Management, Budgeting, etc.
While the list totals 19 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Top Merchandising Executive, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be skilled in Business Performance Management, and be skilled in Budgeting.

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