Lead - Format - Trends (Apparel Stores)

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic

professional to take on the role of Lead - Format - Trends for our Apparel

Stores. This position is responsible for driving top-line growth, maximizing

margins, and enhancing profitability through effective strategies and

operational excellence.

Purpose of the Role

·        Achieve top line & bottom line as per AOP with focus on increasing the full price 

  sell thru.

·        Maximize the margins and optimize the cost.

·        Offer delightful shopping experience for better conversion.

·        Profitability Optimization by implementing strategies to enhance profitability, reduce costs, and improve overall financial performance.

·        Explore & identify revenue-generating opportunities and implementing effective pricing strategies for scalable growth of the business.

·        Implements agile strategies to stay competitive in a dynamic market. Quick adaptations to changes in the retail landscape, customer preferences.

Activities Performed by the Role

·        Strategy and Planning: Recommend the right product mix basis the customer experience to improvise the conversion and margins. Review the operational performance.

·        Project Management and Financial Planning & Budgeting: Achieve top line by driving retail KPIs and bottom line by optimizing Opex as per AOP. Maximize SPSF. Maximize full price sell thru.

·        People Management: Coach and guide the team for skill development. Ensure high degree of compliance with organizations norms and guidelines. Manage stakeholders at various levels within and outside the organization, by demonstrating efficient sales leadership.

·        Policies, Processes & Procedures: Drive SOP and Mock-shop Adherence. Benchmarking against competition on critical parameters.  FF, Conversion, ticket size and sales. Right mix and movement of merchandise. Manage and resolve complex operational issues that arise across multiple stores. Adherence of statutory compliance at store.

Key Responsibilities:

·        Develop and implement strategies to increase full-price sell-through and optimize product mix based on customer preferences and market trends.

·        Analyze customer feedback, surveys, and market research to anticipate customer needs and deliver delightful shopping experiences.

·        Collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve financial and strategic objectives, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and safety standards

·        Supervise model building for risk mitigation, business continuity, and operational capacity development across stores.

·        Evaluate underperforming stores and approve turnaround or de-hiring decisions for optimal performance.

Key Performance Indicators & Outcomes

·        Achieve top line by driving retail KPIs and bottom line by optimizing Opex as per AOP

·        Maximize SPSF. Maximize full price sell thru.

·        Deliver the targeted EBIDTA. 

·        Gather and analyze customer feedback, surveys and market research to understand and anticipate customer needs.

·        Ensure compliance with relevant industry regulations, labeling requirements and safety standards.

·        Supervise model building to plan for business continuity risk mitigation and operational capacity development across the Format Stores.

·        Approve design for store standard operating procedures (SOPs) and technical frameworks for support services for stores.

·        Supervise and monitor the realization of business plan, key business metrics and operations compliance across the Format store level to ensure fulfilment of business outcomes and vision.

·        Evaluate options for low performing stores and approve turnaround or de-hiring decisions for these stores.

·        Cross-functional collaboration with geography operations and category teams to achieve major financial and strategic objectives of the channel.     

·        Regional Format Sales, Growth, GM%, EBITDA as per plan

·        Revenue market share (%) vs plan

·        Customer market share (%) vs plan

·        No. of new initiatives implemented vs plan

·        Net Sales Value %

·        Conversion%

·        Customer Centricity

Organization

·        Partial Hybrid State F&L structure to enable business expansion, optimise resources and deliver expected business results consistently.

·        Each State will be headed by a State Business Head (SBH), and will be accountable for the 200-225 stores à AOP of of approximately 1,000-1,500 crore rupees.

·        The partial hybrid State F&L Structure will have: Frontend Operations, SBH & Ops Heads – format agnostic, CM & Below – Pure, Support functions - Format agnostic

·        Operations will be accountable for gross margin, customer experience, timely execution and compliance to all SOPs

·        Each of the support function will be led by a State Functional Lead, and will be accountable for agreed KPIs, Customer experience, timely execution and compliance to all process for their respective deliverables

·        The Organization structure comprises of 13 Regions. The 13 Regions are: East 1 (WB & Sikkim), East 2 (Bihar & Jharkhand), & East 3 (Assam & NE), West1 (Maharashtra & Goa), & West 2 (Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat & Chhattisgarh), North 1&2 (Delhi, NCR, Punjab & Haryana) and North 3 (UP & UK) & South 1 (Andhra & Odisha), South 2 (Telangana), South 3 (Karnataka), South 4 (TN & Pondicherry) & South 5 (Kerala).

·        Format Lead & Regional roles (F&L) report into the Regional Operation roles (F&L).

·        Regional Head (12) are manned basis State size, nuances and geography variances.

·        Delegation of Authority

Activities

Primary Responsibility

Secondary Responsibility

Achieve top line by driving retail KPIs and bottom line by optimizing Opex as per AOP

Yes

Maximize SPSF & full price sell through

Yes

Deliver the targeted EBIDTA. 

Yes

Gather and analyze customer feedback, surveys and market research to understand and anticipate customer needs.

Yes

Ensure compliance with relevant industry regulations, labeling requirements and safety standards.

Yes

Supervise model building to plan for business continuity risk mitigation and operational capacity development across the Format Stores.

Yes

Evaluate options for low performing stores and approve turnaround or de-hiring decisions for these stores.

Yes

Cross-functional collaboration with geography operations and category teams to achieve major financial and strategic objectives of the channel.       

Yes

Qualifications:

·        

B.Tech Graduate with MBA in Retail or Finance, having 8-12 years of experience in the Apparel/Fashion industry in a leadership role managing retail operations.

·        

Proven track record in driving sales,

profitability, and operational excellence in a dynamic retail environment

·        

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

with the ability to interpret data and make data-driven decisions

·        

Excellent communication and stakeholder management

skills

·        

Familiarity with industry regulations, trends,

and best practices

·        

Preference for candidates based in Hyderabad

Keywords: Apparel, Fashion, Trends, Retail Operations, Sales Growth, Profitability, Customer Experience, Strategic Planning, Risk Mitigation, Business Continuity, Operational Excellence, Data Analysis, Stakeholder Management, Industry Regulations, Market Research.