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%
$419,612
TOTAL 50%
$679,294
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)
Identifies and explains the characteristics and key features of various retail business models.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Identifies and explains major operational issues and considerations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements promotional activities to communicate the features and benefits of new products.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors and optimizes retail operations to enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Explores the historical and future positioning of the organization in light of prevailing retail trends.
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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)
Lists the advantages and disadvantages of managing retail strategy, including sales, growth, and customer retention.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the advertising team in aligning their campaigns with our overall retail strategies.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Reviews the existing retail strategies to make necessary adjustments based on market dynamics.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees retail marketing and strategic planning and management to reach the target customers.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness and management of the retail strategy.
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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)
Lists the basic techniques used in executing promotion in the marketing sector.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Shows potential customers how a product or service works.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Implements promotional activities in accordance with the set budget.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages various promotional initiatives such as direct marketing and sales promotion.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Establishes a metric system to evaluate the effectiveness of major promotional efforts.
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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 the advantages of production planning strategies in supply chain management.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Performs basic purchasing activities to support supply chain management and process improvement initiatives.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Reviews current supply chain operations to document product, service, and information flow.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Formulates innovative solutions and plans to resolve supply chain issues.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops risk management practices to mitigate losses in supply chain shortages.
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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)
Explains our key business strategies and priorities.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports and communicates market and competitor status regularly to the management team.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Evaluates supply chain efficiency with an eye toward improving shortcomings.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leverages the latest technologies and tools that enhance business analytics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Designs and implements feedback loops to identify and promptly address business problems.
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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)
Lists the key elements of a strategic business performance management system.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Keeps a clear idea of work responsibilities and the standards of work expected of own business unit.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Handles past performance review, business practices evaluation, and potential solutions research.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Monitors a business performance system to manage all financial processes.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Measures the efficiency and success of initiatives by monitoring reports, analytics, and KPIs.
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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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