Visual Merchandising & Brand Specialist
Company Overview
SMCP North America, business unit of SMCP Group, lead the development of Parisian brands Sandro and Maje in North America. It directly operates 129 points of sales in the US and Canada, and gathers about 450 staff.
With three distinct contemporary Parisian fashion brands, SMCP is a global leading company in the accessible luxury sector. The Group operates 1,176 points of sales and its brands are present in 35 countries worldwide as of June 2016. Evelyne Chetrite and Judith Milgrom founded Sandro and Maje in Paris, in 1984 and 1998 respectively and continue to provide creative direction for the brands. Claudie Pierlot was also founded in 1984 by Madame Claudie Pierlot, and acquired by the Group in 2009.
Job description
This position is responsible for creating an exciting visual environment which will enhance the customer experience to drive sales and profitability while simultaneously educating the network on brand specific nuances and guidelines. The role will partner with Corporate VM to develop and execute new and exciting training initiatives.
BASIC RESPONSIBILITIES
o Follows all Visual directives and corporate guidelines set forth by Corporate Visual.
o Analyzes business reports and actions appropriate steps to drive profitability.
o Liaises with Corporate Visual team to proactively identify areas of opportunity and create training modules designed to elevate visual standards and knowledge.
o Shares knowledge and educates store teams on visual standards and directives in an inclusive and inspirational manner.
o Seeks an understanding from store teams of what product is selling /not selling in addition to an understanding of store sales trend.
o Works with store team on execution of all aspects of promotional and sale set-up including presentation, lettering, and signage.
o Partners with Store team on execution of Visual installs for store events and marketing initiatives.
o Installs all special windows / displays in assigned stores and submits photos in a timely manner.
o Upholds all Company Values.
o Follows all Company policies and procedures.
o Expense control / works within established budget guidelines.
o Implement daily morning walk-throughs and training sessions with managers 1 hour before store opening.
o Develop teams to grow their skill set and improve overall visual. If stores are not growing, improving and learning, then you need to identify issues and provide an action plan, involving the VM Team and DM to help support growth.
STORE VISITS
o Makes weekly visits to Focus Stores.
o Makes monthly visits to Regional Stores.
o Conducts store visual walk-throughs with Manager on duty.
o Makes key visual decisions in partnership / collaboration with the Store team.
o Recaps action points discussed during store visit utilizing the VM Report template and sends to Store Manager with a copy to Corporate and District / Market Manager.
o Ensures stores are in compliance with submitting store photos for each new guideline in accordance with established deadline.
CORPORATE VISUAL PARTNERSHIP
o Effectively partners with Corporate Visual to raise the bar in execution of and adherence to Corporate Visual standards.
o Submits monthly Visual Calendar to Corporate.
o Submits before and after photos via the VM Visit Report after each store visit.
o Visits all focus stores on a weekly basis.
o Visits all regional stores on a monthly basis
o Submits weekly VM Recap by Friday deadline.
o Participates on weekly conference call with Corporate VM Team
o Analyzes weekly reports and makes necessary adjustments to action plan
Profile
Education/Experience:
• Minimum of 2 years visual team experience preferably with a luxury brand.
• Solid experience in field visual merchandising, including window displays, signs, interior displays, and space utilization.
• Ability to quickly learn SMCP standards, procedures, IT applications
• Proficiency in MS Office – Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Illustrator is preferred.
• Knowledge of current visual merchandising trends and best practices.
• Experience with painting techniques – flat and faux finishing
• Good administrative skills with regard to submission of required reports/recaps.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze business results and can develop appropriate visual solutions to drive positive results.
Special Skills:
• Foreign Languages, a plus
Personal Characteristics:
• Highly motivated, self-starter & strategic thinker
• Must be extremely hands on
• Strong interpersonal and communications skills (verbal and written)
• Must be detail oriented, organized and flexible
• Must have strong time management and multi-tasking skills and be able to work well under pressure
• Ability to work well with others as well as the ability to work independently to complete a task.
• Strong execution skills
• Flexible and able to adapt to change within an evolving group
• To be considered for this role, you must submit an on-line portfolio of your prior work.