Buyer / Merchandising Manager Jobs in Chennai Footwear Retail

📋 Job Description

Jobzi is sourcing qualified candidates for Buyer / Merchandising Manager 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