Assistant Merchandiser - Retail Merchandising and Trading Location: Avonmouth, Bristol (Hybrid - 3 days in office, including Wednesday and Thursday) Salary: Competitive bonus benefits Accelerate Your Career in Retail Merchandising At Harding, our Assistant Merchandisers directly influence retail performance across a global cruise operation. From forecasting and stock management to trading analysis and Open to Buy (OTB) control, your decisions shape sales, availability, and profitability across international markets. We are looking for an ambitious Assistant Merchandiser to join our Buying and Merchandising team in Avonmouth, Bristol. If you enjoy turning retail data into commercial action and want real ownership within a fast-moving retail environment, this role offers genuine exposure and progression. Take Ownership of Trading, Forecasting and OTB As an Assistant Merchandiser, you will support the Senior Merchandiser and Buying teams in maximising commercial performance through effective inventory management, retail planning, and data-led decision making. You will take ownership of weekly trade reporting, analysing sales, stock, margin, and markdown performance against budget and last year. Your insights will inform intake flow, replenishment to ships, promotional strategy, and risk mitigation decisions. Working closely with Buying, Merchandising Assistants, Operations, Warehouse teams, Vendors, and Ship colleagues, you will ensure the right product is in the right place at the right time. You will contribute to seasonal forecasting, support range optimisation, manage stock flow against forecast, and protect profit through commercially sound planning decisions. This is a commercially focused Assistant Merchandiser role. It requires analytical confidence, sound judgement, and the ability to translate trading performance into clear action. Develop Within a High-Exposure Retail Planning Function Harding operates at pace across multiple cruise lines, global suppliers, and highly seasonal trading cycles. As part of our retail merchandising team in Bristol, you will gain exposure to supplier planning discussions, joint business planning, and broader category strategy. You may attend vendor meetings and, where appropriate, conduct ship visits to review stock packages and identify sales opportunities. Your contribution will be visible, and your development will be actively supported. You will work in a hybrid model, spending three days per week in our Avonmouth office, with core team collaboration days on Wednesday and Thursday and one additional in-office day to suit team and business needs. About You You are an analytical and commercially minded Assistant Merchandiser, or an experienced Merchandising Assistant looking for the next step in your career. You understand forecasting, stock management, trading performance, and OTB processes. You are confident presenting insights, suggesting calculated risks, and contributing to informed commercial decision-making. You are organised, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast-paced retail environment where priorities shift and deadlines matter. Most importantly, you do not simply report numbers – you interpret them, challenge them, and act on them. Experience in retail merchandising, fashion, lifestyle, or own-brand environments will be advantageous, but your commercial mindset and drive to develop within merchandising are what matter most. What You Will Gain You will join a supportive and ambitious global retail business headquartered in Avonmouth, Bristol. We offer: • Annual bonus scheme • Company pension • Healthcare provision • 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase an additional five days • Clear opportunities for progression within Buying and Merchandising • Exposure to international retail operations and global trading performance About Harding Harding is the world’s only dedicated cruise retailer, partnering with leading global cruise lines and operating retail shops across ships worldwide. With millions of transactions annually and a growing international footprint, we continue to shape the future of onboard retail. We are committed to building diverse teams and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, supported, and able to thrive. If you are ready to take the next step in your merchandising career and want your retail analysis and commercial thinking to influence performance on a global scale, we would love to hear from you. Apply now and help drive retail success worldwide.