Creative Visual Merchandising Manager

Oak Furnitureland

  • Swindon
  • £45,000-50,000 per year
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 19 days ago
Creative Visual Merchandising ManagerROLE PURPOSEOur Creative Visual Merchandising Manager is a hybrid role, responsible for Visual Merchandising Design and Concepts in all new and existing stores, ensuring all range plans are planned and executed in conjunction with the Retail, Buying and Commercial teams. You will be responsible for shaping how the customers experience our brand in store through compelling visual storytelling, room-set styling and innovative space planning.Working in a fast-paced environment, our Creative Visual Merchandising Manager has a really creative eye, ensuring our product strategy is executed consistently across the estate.As part of the Visual Merchandising team, you’ll play a key role in designing cohesive and inspirational environments that drive engagement, sales and brand love!CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Reporting into the Retail and Property Director and working alongside the UK Visual Merchandising Manager
  • Develop seasonal and trend-driven VM Concepts for showroom rollouts and product launches
  • Working with the UK VM Manager to define rollout schedules for new product launches
  • Lead the development and implementation of innovative visual merchandising techniques that optimise customer flow, maximise product visibility and elevate the overall brand experience for the consumer
  • Lead the Creative VM strategy in alignment with overall brand vision, business objectives and commercial goals
  • Collaborate with Retail, Buying and Commercial teams to ensure that visual displays reflect key ranges, customer journeys and commercial priorities
  • Design store layouts, agreeing floor plans with field VM Team
  • Design and plan room sets and layout schemes that are functional, on-brand and aspirational
  • Managing the Creative VM Budget
  • Working with the Commercial team agreeing store ranging, new range rollout and ensuring new products are landed effectively and efficiently in store
  • Working closely with field VM team to create 3D visuals/Planograms of store layouts
  • Create VM guidelines and style packs for the field team on all ‘room set’ stories in line with brand DNA
  • Create the Visual Merchandising look and feel in line with Photoshoot styling, imagery and promotional activity to ensure a clear end to end customer shopping journey through all channels.
  • Responsible for mock shop product set ups and establishing a way of working with Buying and Merchandising to ensure a smooth transition of product set up/sample sign off/ wider business engagement.
  • Working with the property and maintenance team to continuously improve existing showrooms
  • Actively sourcing and purchasing props and allocation to showrooms in line with new range launches and ensuring budgets are managed accordingly
  • Responsible for new store environment concept development, working with contractors, property team and wider team to ensure New Stores are opened seamlessly
  • Collaborate with key stakeholders during new store set up and creation, leading the visual planning and execution to ensure stores are opened seamlessly, on time and on budget
  • Maintain awareness of industry trends, competitors and interior design movements to keep the brand VM fresh and ahead of the curve
  • Any other ad hoc creative tasks that are required
  • One day a week travel to showrooms to support on new store openings and refits
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
  • Proven experience in Visual Merchandising, ideally within the furniture sector
  • Strong eye for interior styling, furniture arrangement and spatial planning
  • Proficient in SketchUp, Adobe creative suite and/or visual planning tools
  • Excellent time Management skills and ability to manage multiple projects under deadlines
  • Knowledge of current visual merchandising trends and best practices.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with key stakeholders across the business.
  • Ability to interpret data, analyse performance metrics, and make data-driven decisions to drive Commercial opportunities.
  • Flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions and consumer behaviours, ensuring sustained growth and profitability.
  • Hybrid role, combination of working from home and Head Office 2 days per week with one day a week in the field visiting UK stores
Benefits:
  • Employee discount: amazing discounts available on all Oak Furnitureland products after successful completion of probation
  • Life assurance: free cover of a minimum of two times your annual salary up to the age of 65
  • 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
  • Birthday: an additional day off for you to celebrate your birthday
  • Pension: 4% employee contribution matched by the company
  • Employee Assistance Programme: gives all employees access to both telephone and face-to-face counselling services
  • My Rewards Programme: offers discounts on everything from restaurants and supermarkets, to entertainment and holidays
  • Company car
  • Phone allowance

Oak Furnitureland