Roots is more than just an/the iconic Canadian retailer, we are a group of passionate employees who act with integrity, trust each other and do what is right. We work in a space where people can grow and develop, with a team of people who own results and are dedicated to seeing Roots win. We seek to build longstanding relationships with partners who share our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards of operation.
We are currently seeking a Visual Merchandising Specialist who will seek inspiration from our roots, can commit to achieving results the right way and loves to think big to join us on our journey.
As a Visual Merchandising Specialist at Roots, you will be responsible for supporting the development and deliverables of merchandising directives for implementation across the company with a heavy emphasis on mannequin styling. The VMS will report to the Sr. Visual Merchandising Manager, and work in close partnership with the Visual Standards and Merchandising team. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the in-store experience and keeping brand integrity top of mind. In this role you will coordinate between the Buying/Merchandising team with consideration from the Marketing team to ensure a wholistic and connected approach is achieved in creating deliverables to the Operations team for execution.
The Visual Merchandising Specialist for Roots will be responsible for the following:
- Develop and support in creating and distributing bi-weekly/monthly window directives, centered around a tiered approach, to support store cadence that falls in line with campaign initiatives.
- In partnership with Sr. Graphic Designer, create bi-weekly/monthly Window Directive drafts for approval process with senior team before executing and finalizing.
- Support with monthly in store merchandising guide for all stores, including merchandising, product and interior campaign marketing direction. Driving the brand’s vision forward through the creation of a compelling in store visual experience.
- Work directly with VMM, Buying and Merchandising to become an expert on the monthly in store assortment plans, option counts and capacity.
- Work in partnership with VMM and Merchandising/Planning team to determine optimal style/option count by store grading.
- Work in partnership with the Standards team to constantly improve the VM standards and communication to the field; building and creating a standard guide and training resources.
- Support the team to develop clear training manuals and guidelines for in-store teams on product placement, product journey, product flow, and product features & benefits. Along with a strong focus in mannequin styling that aligns with the brand vision and all channel campaigns.
- Maintain awareness of business performance and drive strategy on how VM can contribute to sales growth through retail productivity.
- Support team with accountability on Compass missions and VM newsfeed. Working with HR/Retail Ops to look at how to use our communication technology tools to optimize communication and effective adoption of VM standards/Field Guide/Window Directives.
- Work with VMM to begin the foundation in developing/implement a clear planogram template by store grade for seasonal product collection releases that balance Design’s vision with Merchandising’s buy plan
- Support product team with VM on collections in development for line reviews and executive/Board walk-throughs
- Conduct regular market visits to stay connected to in-market challenges and support the development of solutions
Top candidates for the Visual Merchandising Specialist role will have the following:
- 5+ years experience working as a Visual Merchandiser
- Excellent verbal communication and written communication skills
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (including ppt)
- Must be proficient in PowerBI
- Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suit or InDesign would be an asset
- Familiarity with or in Yoobic and Lattice (or ability to adopt to learning platforms
Founded in 1973, Roots Canada is a publicly held Canadian lifestyle brand that sells apparel, leather bags, small leather goods, footwear and active athletic wear with over 100 retail stores in North America and Asia.