Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) Jobs in Chennai Footwear Retail
⚡ Hiring Now🏫 Chennai Footwear Retail Employment Zones
Chennai's private footwear retail sector operates branded shoe stores, sports footwear chains, and ethnic footwear outlets in Guindy and Ambattur MIDC, employing Tamil-speaking footwear sales executives, store supervisors, and inventory managers.
Footwear Retail employment zones in Chennai include Guindy, Ambattur MIDC, Sholinganallur, Anna Nagar, Nungambakkam, T. Nagar, Adyar, Velachery, Taramani, and Perungudi.
📋 Job Description
Jobzi is sourcing qualified candidates for Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) positions in Chennai's private Footwear Retail sector. This is a full-time opportunity with a reputed Footwear Retail and Manufacturing employer in Chennai offering competitive salary, structured growth, and a professional work environment. Tamil communication skills are preferred alongside English for professional and business interaction in Chennai.
📌 Key Responsibilities
- Plan and manage the seasonal footwear buying budget and open-to-buy (OTB) allocation across categories
- Source and negotiate with domestic and international footwear vendors for competitive cost prices and margins
- Develop the seasonal assortment plan for sports, formal, casual, ethnic, and kids footwear categories
- Review sales and sell-through data to identify top performers, slow movers, and markdown requirements
- Approve footwear samples for quality, construction, sizing accuracy, and brand compliance
- Monitor footwear trend intelligence from domestic markets and global trade sources to guide range development
- Coordinate with the visual merchandising and retail operations teams on seasonal collection launch readiness
🎓 Qualifications and Requirements
- MBA in Retail Management, Fashion Management, or Marketing; or Graduate in any field with relevant buying experience
- Four to ten years of footwear or fashion buying or merchandising experience in an organised retail environment
- Strong understanding of open-to-buy planning, seasonal assortment building, and margin management
- Experience negotiating with footwear vendors on cost prices, delivery terms, and quality standards
- Analytical skills to review sell-through data and make markdown or range planning decisions
- Knowledge of footwear construction, materials, and quality parameters for sample approval
- Exposure to domestic footwear manufacturing hubs and vendor sourcing ecosystems is an advantage
- Good Tamil and English communication skills for team coordination and client interaction in Chennai.
✅ Required Skills
🏆 Certifications and Qualifications
12th pass or Graduate for retail sales and customer service roles; Graduate or Diploma in Retail Management for store management roles; knowledge of GST on footwear categories and HSN codes for billing roles; ITI Leather or Cobbler trade for footwear repair and cobbling roles; knowledge of shoe sizing systems (India, UK, EU, US) and last measurements for fitting roles; communication skills in Tamil and English for all customer-facing roles; Tally for store accounts roles; familiarity with footwear brand seasonal catalogues and style numbers for sales roles
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of jobs are available in footwear retail and manufacturing in Chennai?
Chennai's private footwear retail and manufacturing sector offers a wide range of positions including floor sales, shoe fitting assistance, cashiering, shoe repair and cobbling, stock and inventory management, visual merchandising, e-commerce operations, wholesale distribution, store supervision, and area management. Manufacturing units in Ambattur and Guindy also employ production floor supervisors and quality check staff. Both entry-level roles for 12th pass candidates and senior management roles for MBA graduates are regularly available across footwear retail and manufacturing employers in Chennai.
What salary can I expect from a footwear retail job in Chennai?
Salaries in Chennai's private footwear retail sector vary by role and experience level. Entry-level sales and cashier roles typically pay between Rs. 13,000 and Rs. 26,000 per month. Mid-level roles such as visual merchandisers, inventory executives, and e-commerce executives earn between Rs. 16,000 and Rs. 36,000 per month. Supervisory and store management roles range from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 80,000 per month, while senior area and operations management positions can command Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2,30,000 per month depending on experience and scope.
Which areas in Chennai have the most footwear retail and manufacturing job openings?
T. Nagar, Anna Nagar, and Velachery are the highest-density footwear retail employment zones in Chennai due to their large commercial shopping footprint and high foot traffic. Tambaram, Adyar, and Sholinganallur serve expanding residential belts with growing multi-brand and sports footwear store presence. Ambattur and Guindy are the primary zones for footwear manufacturing and wholesale distribution roles. Perambur and Porur also host footwear retail outlets and wholesale godowns with regular hiring across sales and logistics roles.
What does a Buyer or Merchandising Manager do in Chennai footwear retail?
A Buyer or Merchandising Manager at a Chennai private footwear retail chain plans the seasonal footwear range, manages the open-to-buy budget, sources and negotiates with footwear vendors, approves product samples, analyses sell-through data, and coordinates seasonal collection launches with retail and VM teams. The role requires strong commercial acumen, vendor management skills, and an understanding of footwear construction and quality. Four to ten years of buying or merchandising experience in organised footwear or fashion retail is typically required.
What is OTB planning in footwear buying and why is it important?
Open-to-buy (OTB) planning in footwear retail is the process of calculating the value of new stock that a retailer can purchase within a season without exceeding the planned inventory budget. It accounts for beginning-of-season stock, planned sales, planned markdowns, and desired ending inventory levels. Footwear Buyers use OTB to control buying spend, prevent overstock situations, and ensure the right mix of styles and sizes is purchased. Proficiency in OTB management is one of the most critical competencies evaluated when hiring Buyers and Merchandising Managers in footwear retail.
What is the salary for Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) in Chennai Footwear Retail in
A Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) in Chennai earns between Rs.46,500 and Rs.1,06,500 per month in July 2026, depending on experience, skills, and employer.
What experience is required for Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) jobs in
4 - 10 Years of relevant experience is typically required for Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) positions in Chennai's private Footwear Retail sector.
வேலை விவரம் - தமிழில்
Chennai-ல் Buyer / Merchandising Manager (Footwear) வேலைவாய்ப்பு. மாத சம்பளம் ரூ.46,500 முதல் ரூ.1,06,500 வரை. 4 - 10 Years અனுபவம் தேவை. Footwear Retail-ல் Full Time பணி. ஆர்வமுள்ளவர்கள் Jobzi மூலம் விண்ணப்பிக்கலாம்.