Merchandiser

Music is Universal
 
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email UniversalMusicCareers@umusic.com.

About the opportunity 

Apple Corps Ltd. was founded in 1968 to oversee The Beatles’ creative and business interests. It initially served as the new outlet for The Beatles’ own recordings as well as the music of a wide-ranging roster of artists, all brought to the label personally by the band (individually and/or collectively). Apple Corps’ mission celebrates artistry in an inclusive, creative environment. Since its inception, the company has encompassed music, publishing, merchandise, electronic and film enterprises.   

For almost six decades, Apple Corps Ltd. has helped to bring The Beatles music to billions of fans in pioneering, creative manners, decade after decade.    

Apple Corps and Universal Music Group UK are coming together to build a dedicated team focused on shaping the next chapter of Beatles product, ecommerce, retail and customer experience.   

This is a rare opportunity to work at the intersection of music, culture, creativity, commerce and fan experience. The Beatles remain one of the most important and influential creative forces in the world, with a legacy that continues to inspire fans across generations.   

This team will create exceptional products, experiences and customer journeys for Beatles fans globally. From product design and packaging to retail, ecommerce, trading and fan engagement, every touchpoint must reflect the creativity, quality and cultural significance associated with The Beatles.   

These roles are employed by Apple Corps Ltd. The Universal Music Group UK Talent Acquisition team will manage the recruitment process in collaboration with Apple Corps and the wider UMG team. When you apply, you will be redirected to the Universal Music Group careers portal, where you will be required to submit your application through Workday.   

The role 

The Merchandiser is responsible for driving the commercial performance of our product ranges through strategic range & assortment planning, forecasting, inventory management and trade planning & insight. Working closely with the Senior Creative and product leads, Merchandise Campaign Manager, Apple Corps & Universal Music Recordings, Production, retail and external partners, the role will ensure use seasonality models, trends and data to develop product ranges are commercially balanced, customer-focused and aligned with business objectives. 

This is a commercial role, combining merchandising expertise, data-led decision making and cross-functional leadership to optimise sales, profitability, product strategy and stock investment across multiple brands and product categories. 

Merchandise Planning & Commercial Strategy 

• Lead the merchandising strategy across multiple product categories, ensuring stock investment and buying aligns with commercial objectives, customer demand and business growth across multiple verticals (retail, licensing & D2C). 

• Partner with Ecommerce Product Managers to develop seasonal assortment plans, stock budgets and sales forecasts. 

• Build and manage range plans that balance new launches, core products, replenishment and promotional activity. 

• Make recommendations that maximise revenue, margin and inventory productivity. 

Forecasting & Inventory Management 

• Own demand forecasting, stock planning and inventory optimisation across all product ranges. 

• Monitor sales performance, stock cover and sell-through to identify opportunities and risks. 

• Recommend repeat orders, replenishment activity, markdown strategies and exit plans based on trading performance. 

• Balance availability while minimising excess stock and markdown exposure. 

Trading & Performance Analysis 

• Analyse product performance using sales data, customer behaviour and retail & ecommerce KPIs including: 

• Revenue 

• Margin 

• Sell-through 

• Conversion 

• Click-through rate & site performance metrics  

• Days online 

• Product visibility 

• Stock cover 

• Average order value 

• Translate insights into clear commercial actions for internal stakeholders. 

• Produce regular trading reports, forecasts and post-launch reviews. 

Cross-functional Collaboration 

• Work closely with Creative, Production, Ecommerce, Marketing and Finance to ensure commercial priorities are embedded throughout the product lifecycle. 

• Support production planning through informed recommendations on quantities, pricing and delivery schedules. 

• Collaborate with Marketing to develop promotional calendars that maximise trading opportunities. 

• Partner with Ecommerce teams to optimise product merchandising, collection & category structure and onsite visibility. 

Pricing & Commercial Optimisation 

• Lead pricing analysis across product categories to ensure competitiveness and profitability. 

• Conduct SWOT and margin analysis to inform pricing strategies and promotional decisions. 

• Identify opportunities to improve commercial performance through assortment, pricing and promotional activity. 

Market & Consumer Insight 

• Monitor competitor activity, industry trends and customer behaviour (retailer, apparel & product) to identify commercial opportunities. 

• Benchmark product ranges, pricing and promotional strategies against key competitors. 

• Use market insight to inform future assortment planning and product development. 

Experience Requirements 

• Significant merchandising experience within fashion, lifestyle, retail, consumer products or licensed merchandise. 

• Proven experience managing product ranges from planning through to end-of-life. 

• Strong track record of forecasting demand, managing inventory and improving commercial performance. 

• Experience working within ecommerce and omnichannel retail environments. 

• Demonstrable experience using data and customer insight to influence trading decisions. 

• Experience partnering with suppliers, production and cross-functional teams. 

Just So You Know…

The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.

Job Category: