Head of Merchandising & Supply Chain

Exciting new opportunity in travel retail, supporting a fast-paced retail and food service business, where every day brings new opportunities to grow and make an impact!

Job purpose:

Lagardère UK Travel Retail is seeking a dynamic, commercially driven professional to lead and develop the supply chain and merchandising function for our expanding business lines: Duty Free, Food & Beverage, and Travel Essentials retail. As Head of Supply Chain and Merchandising, you will design, implement, and manage end-to-end supply chain and merchandising processes to support business growth and operational excellence across our travel retail locations in the UK, working with brands such as ALEA Duty Free, Burger King, Wasabi, Lego, Minsio, Discover, and more to come.

Benefits: Simplyhealth cash plan, Retail Trust, life insurance, and up to 25% in-store discounts

Key Responsabilities:

Inventory and Stock Management

• Oversee inventory forecasting, replenishment, and allocation for all product categories and locations, ensuring optimal stock availability and minimizing waste.
• Lead end-of-life stock management, markdowns, clearance, and supply chain exit strategies, tracking KPIs for stock quality and exit efficiency.
• Manage stock quality, returns, and compliance with brand and regulatory standards.

Merchandising Execution:

• Design and implement planograms and visual merchandising layouts for stores.
• Work closely with brand partners and suppliers to maintain high merchandising standards and ensure alignment with business objectives.

Build and Develop the Merchandising and Supply Chain Function:

• Establish and grow the merchandising and supply chain teams as the business expands, initially performing many tasks directly while designing and implementing scalable processes

Range and Product Development:

• Contribute to new product development and range planning, particularly for gifting and souvenirs, including limited new product lines.

Collaboration and Commercial Focus:

• Work closely with commercial, marketing, operations, and finance teams to align merchandising and supply chain strategies with business goals
• Prioritize commercial objectives such as sales growth, margin improvement, and stock efficiency.

Performance Monitoring:

• Monitor and report on KPIs including stock turnover, sell-through, gross margin, and visual merchandising effectiveness.
• Prioritize commercial objectives such as sales growth, margin improvement, and stock efficiency.

Qualifications and Key Skills:

Experience:

• Proven experience in retail, ideally within travel retail or a fast-paced, multi-site environment such as a supermarket or startup retailer.
• Strong background in both merchandising and supply chain management, with a preference for candidates who understand the unique logistics challenges of travel retail.
• Managerial experience with the ability to be hands-on, building and leading teams as the business grow.

Education:

• Degree in business, retail managegement, supply chain, or a related field.

Personal Attributes:

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with internal teams and external partners.
• Strong problem-solving ability and adaptability in a dynamic, growing business.
• Attention to detail and a commercial mindset focused on sales growth, margin improvement, and stock efficiency.

Travel:

• Limited travel requirements, but willingness to travel occasionally as needed across the UK and Europe.

Our values: Can you feel the HEAT?

Whatever role you deliver for Lagardère Travel Retail, part of your responsibility is to represent and uphold our company values everyday:

HONESTY – Working ethically | Fostering a culture of openness | Treating each other fairly | Being considerate
EXCELLENCE – Delivering first class customer service | Upholding high store standards | Showcasing prestigious brands
AGILITY – Working in a fast-paced environment | Adapting well to change | Always striving to improve
TEAM SPIRIT – Working together as one team | Supporting each other | Being active partners in our wider communities

Our company:

One of the two divisions of the Lagardère group, Lagardère Travel Retail is a pioneering global leader in the travel retail industry and the only operator to have established a comprehensive and world-recognised leadership across multiple business activities.

Operating over 5,000 stores across Travel Essentials, Duty Free & Fashion and Foodservice in airports, railway stations and other concessions in 42 countries worldwide, we generated €5.2bn sales in 2022.

At Lagardère Travel Retail we believe an inclusive and diverse culture can help businesses and people thrive. We are committed to create a work environment where our people can fulfil their potential and be themselves and to support each and every one of them in achieving their ambitions. We welcome and consider all applicants regardless of their background and can ensure all candidates will receive a fair and equal treatment.