Merchandiser - Airport Retail

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:

We are a fast-growing airport retailer building our UK business and are looking for an experienced and motivated Merchandiser to help establish and scale our merchandising function.

This is a broad, hands-on role combining day-to-day operational execution with higher-level commercial and planning activity. The successful candidate will work closely with Buying, Supply Chain, Stores and Suppliers to ensure we have the right products, in the right place, at the right time — while maintaining tight control of stock, availability and working capital.

This is a challenging and rewarding role in a collaborative, delivery-focused environment. We are looking for someone who is proactive, resilient and comfortable rolling up their sleeves to help build processes, solve problems and make things happen.

Key Responsabilities

Merchandising & Stock Management

• Place and manage purchase orders with suppliers to support store and warehouse requirements
• Track orders from placement through to delivery into stores and/or distribution centres
• Monitor stock levels across stores and central warehouse to maintain availability while controlling stockholding
• Balance stock between locations to support trading needs and minimise overstock

Range & Planning Support

• Work closely with Buyers to manage ranges and support range reviews and changes
• Support decisions on opening stock levels for new stores and new product launches
• Assist with sales forecasting and replenishment planning to support availability and sales targets
• Identify risks and opportunities in stock cover, availability and sell-through

End of Life Problem Stock

• Proactively manage end-of-life products and discontinued ranges
• Identify slow-moving and problem stock and recommend actions to reduce exposure
• Support markdown, clearance and stock exit strategies in line with commercial objectives

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a key point of contact for store teams on stock, deliveries and availability queries
• Liaise with suppliers to resolve delivery issues, shortages and discrepancies
• Work closely with Supply Chain, Warehouse and Logistics partners to support smooth flow of stock

Process & Function Build

• Help establish and document merchandising ways of working as the business scales
• Identify opportunities to improve forecasting, replenishment and stock control processes
• Support the development of reporting and KPIs to improve visibility and decision-making

Qualifications:

• Experience in a merchandising, stock planning or supply chain-related role (retail or FMCG preferred)
• Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain and stock management processes
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Confident working with data to support stock, availability and forecasting decisions
• Proactive, resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively across teams
• Willingness to be hands-on and take ownership — no “that’s not my job” mentality
• Experience using SAP and/or Relex (desirable)
• Experience in travel retail, airport retail or high-volume, fast-moving environments (desirable)
• Experience supporting new store openings or business growth (desirable)

Personal Attributes:

• Commercially minded with a strong sense of ownership
• Hard-working, adaptable and solutions-focused
• Comfortable with ambiguity and building processes from the ground up
• Team-oriented, positive and delivery-driven
• Curious, creative and always looking for better ways of working

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.

Cumulating more than 170 years of experience in travel retail since the opening of the first bookstore in 1852 at Paris Gare de Lyon, we deliver new experiences for travelers every day.

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.