Merchandise Specialist – DTC Retail Kontoor Brands is a portfolio of three of the world's most iconic lifestyle, outdoor and workwear brands: Wrangler, Lee and Helly Hansen. Kontoor Brands is a purpose-led organization focused on leveraging its global platform, strategic sourcing model and best-in-class supply chain to drive brand growth and deliver long-term value for its stakeholders. The Merchandise Specialist supports the merchandising team in planning, executing, and communicating assortment and pricing strategies across the U.S. Retail business. This role is responsible for product setup and maintenance, promotional execution, sales analysis, and cross-functional coordination with Marketing, Store Operations, Planning, Allocation, and Merchant teams. The Merchandise Specialist leverages data and customer insights to support business decisions, drive product visibility, ensure pricing accuracy, and communicate key product and promotional information to store teams. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, organization, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced retail environment.
Responsibilities:- Manage Point-of-Sale (POS) processes, including entering weekly promotions, correcting and troubleshooting issues, and communicating updates to store teams.
- Own style setup and product coding for new merchandise, ensuring accurate product attributes, retail pricing, and system readiness.
- Create and process assortment sheets in GDS for Direct-to-Consumer exclusive styles and third-party product buys.
- Develop seasonal product look books and visual selling tools that communicate delivery timing, key style information, retail pricing, and assortment direction to store teams.
- Assist with the retail marketing calendar by managing communication with the IPM team and partnering with Merchandising to capture the overarching message and program details.
- Manage corporate pricing issues by surfacing retail discrepancies and product concerns, coordinating resolution, and communicating impacts to key partners.
- Prepare and share weekly, monthly, and quarterly best-seller information, highlighting sales performance, product trends, and customer response.
- Create visual store-assortment, line-review, and update decks for cross-functional teams as seasonal edits occur
- Track product production, deliveries, and in-distribution-center dates to support seasonal launch readiness.
- Coordinate product samples for brand marketing, photoshoots, store communication, and other cross-functional needs.
- Submit assortments and listings, ticketing files, and pricing files for order setup; create contracts for reservation of seasonal goods.
- Complete ad hoc projects as needed to support merchants, merchandising managers, and business priorities.
Requirements:- Bachelor's Degree in Consumer Apparel and Retail Studies, Business Management or Merchandising; or equivalent business experience.1-3 years of experience in retail merchandising, buying, assistant buying, ecommerce, or apparel retail.
- Strong analytical skills with experience interpreting sales, inventory, pricing, and product-performance data.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with retail merchandising, POS, and product management systems preferred.
- Exceptional organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and reprioritize in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment requiring multi-tasking and re-prioritization daily.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across Merchandising, Marketing, Planning, Allocation, Store Operations, and other cross-functional teams.
- A commitment to data accuracy, pricing integrity, and timely execution.
- Leadership Competencies Expected for this Role:
- Foundational LeaderGlobal Agility – Be open and adapt quickly when things change
- Purposeful Integrity – Do the right thing, even when no one is watching
- Strategic Foresight – Think ahead and plan for what's coming
- Customer Centric Innovation – Find better ways to serve our customers
- Urgency for Impact – Act fast and get results that matter
- Bold Accountability – Take ownership of your work and results
- Empowered Collaboration – Work well with others to get things done
- Why Kontoor Brands?
- At Kontoor, we offer a comprehensive benefit package to fit your lifestyle. Our benefits are crafted with the same care as our products.
When our employees are healthy, secure, and well, they bring their best selves to work. Kontoor Brands supports you with a competitive benefits program that provides choice and flexibility to meet your and your family's needs – now and in the future. We offer resources to support your physical, emotional, social, and financial wellbeing, plus benefits like discounts on our apparel. Kontoor Brands also provides four weeks of Paid Parental Leave to eligible employees who are new parents, Flexible Fridays, and Tuition Reimbursement.
We are proud to offer a workplace culture centered on equitable opportunities and a sense of belonging for all team members. Here we have a global workforce of high-performing teams that both unlocks our individual uniqueness and harnesses our collaborative talents.
