Hybrid Senior Fashion Merchandiser: Own Trade & Growth

Location: Avonmouth, Bristol (Hybrid – typically 2–3 days in office, Tuesday to Thursday)
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time
Are You a Commercially Driven Senior Merchandiser Looking for More Ownership and Visibility?
At Harding+, we are looking for an experienced Senior Merchandiser to join our Lifestyle division, supporting our Fashion & Accessories category. This is an opportunity to play a highly visible role within a truly unique global retail business, where your decisions will directly influence category performance across an international fleet.
Cruise retail is unlike traditional retail. Trading patterns shift by itinerary, seasonality changes across markets and stock moves across a global operation, creating a fast-paced environment that requires strong commercial judgement, analytical thinking and confident decision-making.
If you enjoy solving trading challenges, influencing decisions and using data to drive performance, this could be the opportunity for you.
Own the Trade. Influence the Strategy.
As Senior Merchandiser, you will take ownership of category WSSI and Open to Buy (OTB), ensuring stock investment aligns with customer demand, sales performance and margin expectations.
You will lead weekly trade reporting and performance reviews, identifying risks and opportunities across sales, stock and margin, whilst using insight to shape better commercial decisions. Working closely with Buying teams, you will influence category planning, forecasting, promotional activity and stock flow to ensure the right product reaches the right place at the right time.
This is not a role for someone who simply reports numbers. We are looking for someone who can confidently interpret data, challenge assumptions and turn insight into action to improve trading performance.
Alongside category ownership, you will also play an important leadership role within the merchandising team, coaching and supporting junior colleagues, encouraging best practice and helping maintain strong trading discipline across the function.
You will work closely with Buying, Operations and Logistics teams, giving you broad exposure across the business and the opportunity to influence decisions that directly impact retail performance globally.
Why Join Harding+?
This role offers genuine ownership, visibility and autonomy within a commercially important category. You will have the opportunity to influence trading decisions, shape performance and broaden your merchandising experience beyond traditional retail in a highly collaborative environment.
At Harding+, your ideas, curiosity and commercial thinking are valued. You will join a supportive and ambitious business where pace, agility and innovation matter.
About You
You are an experienced Senior Merchandiser or established Merchandiser, ideally from a fashion, apparel, accessories, lifestyle or branded retail background.
You will bring strong experience managing WSSI and OTB, alongside a solid understanding of stock planning, forecasting, trade reporting and category performance management. You are highly analytical, commercially minded and confident working with large data sets to identify trends, risks and opportunities.
Previous people leadership experience within a merchandising environment is important, alongside the confidence to coach and develop others while influencing stakeholders across Buying, Commercial and Operations teams.
Strong Excel capability is essential, with exposure to Power BI or similar reporting tools highly advantageous.
What You’ll Get
Alongside a competitive salary, Harding+ offers:

• Annual bonus scheme
• Company pension
• Healthcare provision
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional five days
• Hybrid working
• Exposure to international retail operations and global trading performance
• Genuine ownership and long-term career development opportunities
  

About Harding+
Harding+ is the world’s only dedicated cruise retailer, partnering with leading global cruise lines and operating retail shops across ships worldwide. With millions of transactions annually and a growing international footprint, we continue to shape the future of onboard retail.
We are committed to building diverse teams and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, supported and able to thrive.
Apply today and help shape category performance in one of retail’s most unique global environments.

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