Visual Merchandiser & Trainer (South) - Longines - Swatch Group UK
The company
Swatch Group is an international group active in the design, manufacture and sale of finished watches, jewellery, watch movements and components.
Swatch Group supplies nearly all components required by its 18 watch brands, and Swatch Group companies supply movements and components to third-party watchmakers in Switzerland and around the world. Please be sure to visit our brands' websites to learn more about their fantastic products.
Swatch Group is also a key player in the manufacture and sale of electronic systems used in watchmaking and other industries.
Longines
Elegance, tradition and performance form Longines’ DNA. Relying on a long tradition of fine watchmaking, the Swiss company has been striving since its creation for technical and esthetical excellence and creating exceptional watches along the way.
Job description
Main Function
To ensure all Longines products are displayed to the required Brand standards in your region in order to maximise sales. Responsible for the creation and delivery of the brand training strategy across the business. Field based role.
Key Responsibilities
• Optimising the visual representation of the Longines Brand across Longines Key Account stores.
• Ensuring all retail staff are fully trained and educated on brand, products, collections and associations.
• Develop strong relationships with both retail staff and regional management to ensure all are motivated towards the brand and product.
• Analysing all listings to ensure they have a complete range of products on display and POS is current, promoting the up to date collections and key lines.
• Communicate with store to ensure POS is reflective of advertising campaigns and/or brand sponsorship or promotions.
• Develop a full understanding of how the Longines wholesale accounts operate through careful analysis of performance and KPIs.
• Continually seek to improve the sales performance of the Longines Brand stockists by offering trade support, training and/or new merchandising initiatives.
• Be a Longines ambassador to key retail staff and ensure the brands’ image is maintained in your given region.
Key Tasks
Display/Merchandising
• To optimise display opportunities and look for creative solutions both in-store and in the respective environments.
• The building and implementation of bespoke and off-the-shelf merchandising – the aim being to maximise the brand and create store images to provoke and instigate sales of Longines Brand watches.
• Presenting new product launches and collections at retail level in line with new season launches.
• The management of ranges and stock in-store to ensure the consumer has ready access to the products (i.e. ensure that all stock room stock on display where appropriate).
Training
• Support all Longines points of sale within your region through a minimum number of both local and regional training sessions as agreed with the National Trainer and Visual Merchandising Manager
• Push e-learning completion across all wholesale account staff regularly reporting to
National Trainer and Visual Merchandising Manager on progress.
• Ensure all of the retail staff can demonstrate a good knowledge of the Longines Brand. A good knowledge relates to:
- Brand heritage
- Product features and benefits
- Pricing
- Advertising/POS/PR
- Sponsorships and associations
- Terms and Conditions
- Display management
- Retail staff can demonstrate skills required to sell the Longines brand.
• To use all training tools to successfully educate and motivate retail staff.
• To ensure that stores receive up to date training information on new product/sponsorships.
• Manage the brand ambassador program and ensure training is prioritised.
• To be responsible for production of training material and ensure that all information is kept current.
Profile
Product Knowledge
• A full in-depth knowledge of all products must be developed.
• Standards of performance are attained in product knowledge when:
- A complete product demonstration (prices, trade price and RSP, stock
availability) is available at each call and the brand benefits are highlighted.
- All functions of a product can be demonstrated explained with 100% conviction
and accuracy.
- Material combination and construction details are fully understood and their
benefits are highlighted.
- The training information material is made available to retail staff.
- Worldwide warranty and After Sales Service benefits are explained.
Planning
• Responsibility for the detailed planning necessary to ensure the effective running of the active accounts and for maximising the effective use of available merchandising time.
• Standards of performance are attained in the above when:
- An annual Business Plan is prepared and implemented throughout the course of
the year.
- Planned objectives are worked out and adhered to before and during each call,
and assessed/monitored on a regular basis.
- All appropriate merchandising and training aids are to hand and used, where
appropriate, in each call.
Administration
• Maintain informative up-to-date filing systems on each wholesale account.
• Ensure the use and timely application of all paperwork and reporting structure, i.e. forward journey plans, shop-in-shop reports, monthly market trends reports, competitive analysis etc.
Business Management
• To develop and build relationships with retail staff in selected domestic retail chains.
• To build a complete knowledge and understanding of key accounts, including sales performance, stock holding and competitor activity.
• Regularly analyse Sell Out information including ASP by account in order to use brand and product knowledge to increase overall performance.
• Schedule regular meetings with area managers and agree on business strategy and recovery plans by account. Communicate all information with National Trainer and Visual Merchandising Manager.
• Present all relevant account information to wider Longines UK team at monthly VM meetings and quarterly Sales meetings.
Communication
• To build close working relationship with National Trainer and Visual Merchandising Manager, and all members of the Longines Brand teams to maximise opportunities and ensure regular communication is maintained regarding existing accounts.
• Feedback market and competitor information consistently and regularly.
• Highlight stock availability issues to relevant departments.
• Regular and on-going feedback to the National Trainer and Visual Merchandising Manager of the portfolio of accounts you are responsible for, including:
- Competitor Activity
- Brand line-up changes
- Consumer/staff incentives in place
- Issues
- New Business Opportunities
- Personnel movements
Competitor Activity
• Maximise Longines brand display opportunities versus the competition.
• Negotiate additional brand exposure in key retail environments which remain in accordance with the Longines brand image.
• Ensure that all relevant competitor activity and information is regularly passed to Head Office.
Professional requirements
Promotional Activity
• Support pre-agreed incentives and promotions at retail level.
• Support new store openings.
• Attending customer evenings/event days where appropriate.
• Attend brand sponsorship events and invite the relevant retail customers within your region when appropriate.
• Implementing promotional activity in the form of customer competitions and staff incentives in accordance with Head Office Plans.
Key Skill
• Full Driving License
• Self-starter with an excellent attention to detail.
• Good planning and organisational skills.
• Strong coaching skills and experience with staff development.
• Good English language skills (both written and spoken).
• Good understanding of Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Previous experience in a similar role within the prestige/luxury retail sector.
• Excellent communication and immaculate presentation.
• Willingness to travel regularly within the south region, and with overnight stays as required.