Product Merchandiser & Category Manager

About Lapland UK

LaplandUK is a purpose driven entertainment company that was conceived in 2007 by Mike & Alison Battle, a couple with a passion to reimagine the Father Christmas myth and create the ultimate immersive Christmas experience where families could celebrate the wonder of childhood and specifically, their children’s precious fleeting years of belief.

Frustrated by multiple experiences of the poor treatment of their own sons’ ‘belief’, Mike and Alison Battle, embarked on a 17-year journey to elevate this special moment of childhood through their original storytelling world and so bring it to life: Lapland. Their ground-breaking immersive show opened in Tunbridge Wells in 2007 and immediately captured the attention and hearts of parents nationwide. Powered by their purpose to ‘honour childhood together,’ the couple partnered with Hollywood set designers and West End performance professionals to produce an experience of unprecedented quality and detail. The show moved to Ascot in 2013 and has now welcomed over 1.5 million ‘believers,’ with tickets selling out on release for what the press now terms ‘the Glastonbury of Christmas’.

During 2023, the Battles strengthened their senior leadership team with the recruitment of a proven Live Show Director from IMG who is preparing the launch of a second live show in Cheshire, UK in 2025. The opportunity to continue show expansion is material, both domestically and internationally, through 1st party and 3rd party (franchise) operation, with plans to launch a first international show in 2026/27.

About the role

This is a career-defining role and allows the right candidate to make their mark and work to propel LaplandUK into a global multi-channel, international brand from the solid foundation built to date.

Reporting to our Product & Brand Director, you’ll manage and build a function that ensures we always have the right stock on hand at the right time and in the right quantity through full understanding and immersion in Lapland’s demand creation activity.

You’ll use your leading edge merchandising / category management experience and skills to build and enhance our merchandising tools and processes to accurately monitor performance and emerging trends in order to maximise sales, stock turnover, profit generation and authentic memory making for parents and children.

Main accountabilities include...

• The right stock at the right time, the products our target audience wants to buy, on hand / in stock, ready to ship when the customer needs them;
• Short term: You must be able to lead the Merchandising function from a manual/spreadsheet toolset;
• Longer term: You need to support the build and deployment of dedicated merchandising tools / systems (like PLM etc) to unblock scale, accuracy and productivity;
• Ensure all product information / data is complete, accurate and up to date in all platforms / systems / processes used across the business;
• Hunt value generation for Lapland and our customers, planning our orders to maximise cash availability / profitability while maintaining Lapland’s premium product positioning which deliver wow experiences and memories for our customers;
• Using data to optimise the sales volume and profitability of all designated product areas, continually driving profitability and margin;
• Forward planning and management of budgets by category, option count, and depth of buy based on the overall business and financial / strategic goals of the company;
• Work with the Brand & Product Director to build a range that optimise sales whilst also driving strategic initiatives;
• Deliver strategic direction for product ranges and planning processes and build flexibility into the planning process to allow for changes in direction;
• Optimise working capital (sell through, investment on new products / collections vs best sellers, delivery schedule);
• Work with Finance to ensure our buy meets cash flow requirements, and flex around cash requirements;
• Maximise sales and sell through by collection depending on hype level or continuity;
• Control stock levels based on daily / weekly sales and stock intakes, ensuring core lines are always in stock;
• Review sales forecasts based on performance, and action re forecasts where necessary, providing detailed analysis and insights on category opportunities;
• Analyse and monitor best and worst sellers making informed recommendations for actions to achieve key KPIs;
• Recommend promotions and re-buys as necessary, providing analytical support in the development of category plans;
• Supply internal stakeholders with necessary data to enable informed decisions and planning;
• Responsible for management of the inbound delivery schedule and ensuring critical path dates are maintained and stock is delivered on time to our retail / eCommerce fulfilment centre/s;
• Use insight to influence range and merchandising plans at category reviews, working closely with the wider demand creation / operational stakeholders;
• Utilise market research, customer insights, and sales data to identify trends, opportunities, and gaps in our product offering, and make recommendations for new product development and improvements to existing products / buying / merchandising processes;
• Manage Merchandising function to ensure all processes run smoothly, from product launch, sale, deliveries and planning
• Drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, ensuring that we are always seeking out new ideas and ways to improve our products, processes and defensible position against competitors;
• Effectively communicate and collaborate with Lapland’s senior leadership team with gravitas and ability to influence the board;
• Uphold Lapland’s mission, vision and brand;

About You:

You must have an entrepreneurial mindset and a growth-oriented attitude. The ideal candidate must be comfortable with ambiguity and able to navigate the fast-paced and constantly evolving nature of our direct to consumer, e-commerce and retail businesses. You must be willing to take calculated risks and have a bias for action, with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get involved in all aspects of the business. You must be a strategic thinker, with the ability to balance short-term tactics and objectives with long-term vision and goals.

Additionally, you must be customer-focused and have a strong understanding of our target audience. You must be passionate about Lapland, Christmas and have your finger on the pulse of the merchandising / category management techniques, processes. You must be creative and innovative, with the ability to anticipate and respond to changing consumer / customer needs and preferences, before they happen.

• 5+ years of experience in apparel merchandising / category management, with a track record of driving successful stock turnover and cash/value generation;
• Strong eCommerce, marketplace or retail experience is a must;
• Proficient in inventory software programs like Inventory Planner by Sage or similar;
• Excellent understanding of product (Christmas category) and consumer market;
• Ability to build strong relationships with key stakeholders and influence at all levels;
• Strong Commercial sense to ensure actionability of results and influencing successfully across locations;
• Ability to leverage/integrate existing data sets when information is available;
• Strong planning and organisational skills with a sense of priority and attention to detail;
• Demonstrate out-of-the-box thinking in approaching new and innovative ways of executing;
• Excellent time management skills and the ability to adapt well to change and multi-task;
• Maintain a strong understanding of competitor activity within the Christmas category. We would love to respond to every application however due to the volume of applications we receive this isn't always possible. If you have not heard within 2 weeks of applying, please assume on this occasion that your application has not been shortlisted. We may retain your CV to contact you about future employment opportunities that are being managed by The Growth Foundation Talent. The Growth Foundation Talent is deeply committed to building a diverse & inclusive workplace and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.