Business Manager - Top Retail Brand

Industry: Retail (Mandatory)

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Experience: 8-15 Years of relevant retail experience

Role Overview: Commercial Leadership & Growth

- We are seeking an experienced and highly driven Business Manager to take comprehensive ownership of a key retail vertical or region for a leading retail brand in Mumbai. This is a critical leadership role responsible for the commercial success, strategic planning, and operational efficiency of the business unit.

- The ideal candidate must possess deep, hands-on expertise across the entire retail value chain: Merchandising, Planning, Store Operations, and Business Development.

Key Areas of Expertise & Responsibilities:

The role requires a strong blend of strategic planning and operational execution, managing all aspects of the retail lifecycle.

1. Merchandising & Planning:

- Category Strategy: Develop and execute the overall merchandising strategy for the assigned product categories, ensuring alignment with brand vision and market demand.

- Inventory & Assortment Planning: Lead the merchandise planning cycle, including sales forecasting, seasonal buying budgets, and developing optimal assortment plans at the SKU level.

- Stock Management: Oversee inventory allocation, replenishment, and movement across retail stores and warehouses to maximize sell-through and minimize markdown risk.

2. Retail Operations & Control:

- Operational Excellence: Drive efficiency and high standards across all retail operations, including visual merchandising, customer service protocols, and back-end processes.

- Profitability Management: Manage the P&L of the business unit, focusing on gross margin, inventory turnover, and controlling operational costs.

- Compliance & Audits: Ensure full compliance with all brand standards, internal policies, and regulatory requirements across all managed stores.

3. Business Development & Commercial Acumen:

- Growth Strategy: Identify and execute new business development opportunities, including store expansion, channel optimization, and strategic partnerships to drive top-line revenue growth.

- Performance Analysis: Conduct deep-dive commercial analysis (e.g., store performance, LFL growth, basket size, conversion rates) to provide actionable insights to the leadership team.

- Sales Targets: Define, monitor, and achieve ambitious regional and category sales targets.

4. Team & Stakeholder Management:

- Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the central liaison between Merchandising, Planning, Marketing, and Store Operations teams, ensuring seamless execution of commercial plans.

- Team Mentorship: Lead, mentor, and motivate store managers and operational teams to achieve excellence in customer experience and sales delivery.

Candidate Profile:

Mandatory Requirements:

Experience: 8-15 years of progressive commercial and operational experience in the Retail sector (mandatory).

Expertise: Proven, hands-on expertise across Merchandising, Planning, and Store Operations within a complex retail environment.

Acumen: Strong analytical, operational, and commercial acumen with a track record of driving measurable business growth.

Core Competencies

Leadership: Proven experience managing cross-functional teams and leading high-stakes projects.

Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for high-level stakeholder and promoter management.

Integrity: High level of integrity and comfort operating in a fast-paced, target-driven organization.