Description
About Four Star
At Four Star, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality mattresses and furniture across diverse markets. With a strong commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, we are dedicated to driving growth and operational excellence within our sector. As we look to expand our reach, we are seeking a dynamic and experienced Mattress Merchandiser to drive the product elevation for our next phase of growth.
About the Role
As the Mattress Merchandiser, you will be responsible for the strategic selection, development, and commercial performance of the sleep product category. This role sits at the intersection of product R&D and retail sales, ensuring that the mattress assortment aligns with current market trends, meets margin targets, and delivers a superior "sleep experience" to the customer.
Key Responsibilities:
Product Strategy & Trend R&D
Market Intelligence: Conduct ongoing research into global and local sleep trends, focusing on materials (e.g., cooling tech, sustainable fibers) and consumer wellness needs.
Competitive Analysis: Regularly benchmark competitors’ pricing, coil technologies, and warranty structures to ensure a competitive edge.
Assortment Planning: Curate a balanced product mix across various price points (Entry, Mid, Luxury) and constructions (Innerspring, Memory Foam, Hybrid).
New Product Development (NPD)
Product Briefing: Translate market gaps into technical briefs for the R&D and manufacturing teams, specifying desired "feel" (firmness, bounce, contour) and target retail price.
Prototype Evaluation: Oversee the testing of new prototypes, providing feedback on aesthetics, edge support, and motion isolation before mass production.
Supplier Management: Negotiate with manufacturers on material specifications, lead times, and exclusive product features.
Commercial & Inventory Management
Pricing & Margins: Establish retail pricing strategies that maximize Gross Development Value (GDV) while remaining attractive to the target demographic.
Performance Tracking: Monitor Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as sell-through rates, stock turn, and return rates.
Lifecycle Management: Manage the phase-out of older models through strategic promotions or "floor sample" clearances to make room for new launches.
Visual Merchandising & Sales Enablement
Showroom Experience: Design the layout of the sleep gallery to optimize customer flow and storytelling (e.g., highlighting eco-friendly materials or medical-grade support).
Training & Education: Develop training materials for sales consultants to help them articulate complex technical specs (e.g., gauge of wire, foam density) into relatable customer benefits.
Marketing Collaboration: Assist the marketing team in crafting accurate and compelling product descriptions for digital and print collateral.
Procurement and Logistics
Develop the procurement strategy and execution process.
Handle supplier selection, sourcing, negotiating contracts and purchasing.
Manage dispute and disruptions, supplier risks, cost reduction and ensure supply chain resilience.
Inventory management, warehousing, maintain delivery efficiency and high quality service.
Key Success Metrics
Category Revenue Growth: Year-on-year increase in mattress sales.
Gross Margin %: Maintaining profitability through effective cost negotiation and pricing.
Inventory Health: Minimized aging stock and optimized turnover.
Requirements:
3 to 5 years’ experience in retail merchandising, product development, or a similar role (furniture or high-ticket consumer goods is preferred).
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in MS Excel and data analysis to track sales trends and forecast inventory needs.
Sound industry knowledge and market sensitivity. A strong "eye" for design and an intuition for emerging lifestyle trends in the home and wellness sectors.
Good communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to bridge the gap between technical manufacturers and consumer-facing sales teams.