Regional Merchant
About The Position
The Regional Merchant is responsible for driving store-level product performance, assortment execution, and revenue growth across a defined group of retail stores with a territory of 10-20 Stores. This role serves as the critical bridge between National Merchandising strategy and in-store customer demand, ensuring that product assortments, inventory flow, pricing execution, and visual presentation align with regional customer demographics and sales opportunities. Operating within a multibillion-dollar furniture retail environment, the Regional Merchant manages 10-20 stores within a defined geographic territory, partnering closely with National Merchandising, Merchandise Planning, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, Store Sales, and Supply Chain to maximize product velocity, margin performance, and customer experience. The Regional Merchant plays a pivotal role in ensuring that store assortments are optimized for local customer needs while maintaining alignment with national brand strategies.
Requirements
- Bachelors Degree in Merchandising, Business, Retail Management, Supply Chain, Finance or related field
- 5-10+ Years retail merchandising experience
- Experience in furniture, home furnishings, or big ticket retail strongly preferred
- Proven track record of improving store sales and product performance
- Experience managing multi store retail environments
- Analytical Thinking
- Customer Insight
- Merchandising Judgement
- Cross Functional Leadership
- Store Execution Excellence
- Communication Cross Functionally
- Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or at any time in the future.
Responsibilities
- Localize national assortments based on regional customer demographics, home styles, and buying behavior
- Identify assortment gaps and regional opportunities within core categories such as Bedroom, Dining, Motion Upholstery, Stationary Upholstery and Occasional Furniture
- Recommend product swaps, expansions, or exits to maximize sales productivity
- Ensure store assortments reflect regional demand while maintaining brand consistency
- Analyze store-level sales performance and product velocity trends across the region
- Identify top performers, underperformers, and emerging trends
- Partner with Merchandise Planning & Supply Chain to adjust inventory allocation and replenishment strategies
- Drive improvements in Sales Per Square Foot, Sku Productivity, Category Mix and Margin Performance
- Conduct monthly store visits and velocity walks across assigned stores
- Evaluate floor placement effectiveness, product storytelling, competitive positioning, price perception, and product adjacencies
- Provide feedback and recommendations to improve visual merchandising and customer flow
- Lead product assortment planning and floor execution for new store openings, store relocations and major remodels
- Partner with Visual Merchandising and Store Operations to ensure optimal product presentation and assortment mix
- Validate that floor sets reflect regional sales opportunities and customer demographics
- Provide regional insight to National Merchandising for future product development and assortment planning
- Align with Merchandise Planning on inventory levels, allocation strategies, and demand signals
- Partner with Visual Merchandising to ensure product placement aligns with customer flow and storytelling
- Support store teams with product knowledge and sales enablement through Store Operations
- Identify supply issues impacting store availability and sales opportunities with Retail Supply Chain
- Partner on assortment with RSA’s, Store Managers, and Regional Directors regarding assortment performance, assortment gaps as well as customer insight for assortment regionalization
- Monitor local market conditions and competitive positioning
- Track competitor assortment strategies and pricing trends
- Identify regional customer lifestyle trends and emerging product opportunities
- Provide insights that inform national assortment strategies and product innovation
Benefits
- Health, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program
- Paid Time Off; increases with years of service
- Generous Employee Discount on home furnishings
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Tuition Assistance
- Ashley Wellness Centers (location specific)
- 401(k) and Profit Sharing
- Life Insurance
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
