Associate Buying Manager - HOKA Retail

This role is responsible for HOKA off-line store assortment and in-season management to maximize sales opportunities with right balance between brand image and sales.

• Own channel-specific assortment strategy and product mix, including exclusive styles and key looks by store tier
• Translate assortment into forecast across channel, store, and product mix

• Maximize in-season performance and product gross margin through active monitoring, assortment optimization, and cross-functional action on risks and opportunities
• 35% Own Off-line merchandising and assortment strategy.

• Assist in Providing HOKA Retail channel specific insights by learning about marketplace, consumer and competition, work with Cat. merchant team to get right products for off-line channel and shape Retail merchandising strategy.
• Assist in Convincing brand DTC merchant team to facilitate right DTC direct assortment.
• Own Retail assortment planning and assist in making WSL assortment guidance by different store type, ensure clear architecture across categories, price ladder, and lifecycle.
• Work closely with planning team, to ensure final assortment plan be right translated by planning team into Retail sales plan (style–color–season level).
• Own Retail promotion (GWP) and discount planning, ensuring alignment with sell-through and inventory strategy.
• Drive gross margin (GM) and profit management, balancing full-price sell-through, markdown strategy, and brand positioning.
• Ensure alignment between assortment decisions, pricing strategy, discount plan, and financial targets.
• Own outlet GTM plan based on outlet profile (Premium outlet/normal outlet)
• Own close out channel assortment plan by working together with E-com buying team based on inventory status before seasonal kick off, share guidance to planning and allocation team to ensure right products in right channels.

50% In-season Performance & Agile Optimization

• Provide weekly/monthly merchandising analysis on sales trends, target achieve% and share insight of sales opportunities and potential risk, then react accordingly. Making sure that business KPI is on track. (Sales/Sell-thru%/Margin%)
• Adjust store assortment and H2T plan dynamically based on sell-through trends and consumer response.
• Adjust channel assortment dynamically by cooperating with EC buying team and inventory planning team.
• Assist in Identifyiing key winners and risks and driving timely actions (chase, exit, rebalance).
• Definie discount strategies and markdown actions to clear inventory while protecting brand value.
• Own assortment for retail new store opening. Gate keeper for WSL new store assortment.
• Own Retail new season product flow by store format and share clearly inseason & offseason in & out plan by store type guidance to VM team for future VM plan
• Share directions including assortment, dis% and monthly focus adjustment to planning team, for planning team’s to outputs monthly rolling forecast.
• Set up product target based on planning team’s rolling forecast, align with Retail team to guide store sales tracking.
• Share inputs with Cat. merchant team for product lifecycle management.

15% Cross-functional collaboration

• Act as the key bridge between finance and Cat. Merchandising, Planning, Sales, and Marketing.
• Keep closely communication with VM & Sales team for assortment optimization.
• Ensure end-to-end alignment from assortment strategy to sales execution.
• Provide actionable inputs to Demand planning/Allocation