JOB OVERVIEW
The Retail Merchandising Specialist plans and executes in-store brand experiences that connect product discovery, trial, and purchase through an understanding of shopper motivations, store traffic patterns, and purchase behavior.
This role identifies what draws shoppers toward our products and displays and recommends ways to build product awareness and recall throughout the journey from store entry to checkout and exit. The Specialist connects merchandising concepts, point-of-purchase materials, sampling, and retail events, working with internal teams and external partners to deliver and improve approved programs.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Shopper Behavior and Traffic Analysis
- Examine store visit motivations, shopping routes, product discovery, and purchase decisions through field observation, shopper responses, retailer feedback, and sales data.
- Identify placement, messaging, visual elements, and experiences that encourage shoppers to stop and explore our products.
- Propose improvement hypotheses and test ideas, document results, and apply findings to future programs.
In-Store Brand Experience and Promotional Planning
- Recommend ways to build product awareness and recall at key touchpoints, including entrances, aisles, product displays, sampling areas, and checkout.
- Develop program concepts that connect discovery, interest, trial, and purchase within retailer guidelines and space requirements.
- Maintain execution calendars for assigned promotions and experiential programs, incorporating seasonal opportunities, product launches, and account priorities.
Merchandising and Point-of-Purchase Recommendations
- Recommend product placement, display formats, shelf messaging, and uses of point-of-purchase materials.
- Propose merchandising guides, review checklists, photo documentation methods, and reporting processes for field execution teams.
- Communicate the intended shopper experience to design, production, and field partners; review submitted results and feedback; and follow up on recommended improvements.
Offline Events and Sampling
- Collaborate with event stakeholders to connect brand events, retail promotions, and sampling into ongoing shopper experiences.
- Coordinate program schedules, locations, experience formats, consumer messaging, staffing, product quantities, and logistics.
- Resolve execution issues with external agencies and participate directly in sampling and retail event operations as needed.
- Gather shopper participation, product response, and purchase-related feedback to improve subsequent activities.
Project, Vendor, and Budget Coordination
- Coordinate specifications, production deadlines, and execution schedules with design teams, vendors, logistics providers, field agencies, and retailers.
- Track deliverables and progress across multiple programs and escalate decisions or resource needs.
- Prepare cost estimates, monitor spending against approved budgets, and coordinate purchase orders, invoices, payment processes, and cost reconciliation.
Performance Analysis and Improvement
- Recommend appropriate metrics and data collection methods for assigned programs.
- Analyze product visibility, shopper stops, trial participation, purchase conversion, sell-through, and cost effectiveness where data is available.
- Prepare regular and post-program reports with practical recommendations
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
Experience
- 2–5 years of experience in Retail Marketing, Merchandising, Marketing Operations, Project Coordination, Event Management, or related fields.
- Experience managing retail marketing vendors, production schedules, and field agencies.
- Experience coordinating in-store sampling programs, retail activations, or merchandising projects preferred.
- Experience working with major retail accounts (e.g., Walmart, Target, Costco, grocery chains) preferred.
- Experience in CPG, Food & Beverage, or Consumer Goods industries preferred.
Core Capabilities
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Excellent attention to detail and execution excellence.
- Strong vendor management and coordination skills.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Willingness to travel for store visits and retail event execution (up to 40–60%).
Preferred
- Experience working with design teams or agencies on retail display development
- Experience working with field teams, brokers, or retail partners
- Understanding of U.S. retail environment and shopper behavior
- Experience in fast-paced, high-growth environments
- Understanding of U.S. and Korean cultural trends; knowledge of K-pop culture is a plus
PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT
- Must be able to remain in a stationary position and operate office equipment for a prolonged period.
- Physical activities include, but are not limited to, constant manual dexterity, moving about the work site, and/or handling objects weighing up to 20 lbs.
- Must be able to work in a schedule that commensurate with business operation, including work during weekends, holidays and/or times outside of normal business hours.
- Must be able to travel as business needs (up to 40-60% travel)