Job Description
Role: Category Merchandiser (Cleaning & Laundry)
Employer: Lakeland
Location: Windermere Cumbria (Hybrid: 3 days on site including Tuesday & Wednesday)
Salary: Circa £51,500 + Depending on Experience
About the role
We’re looking for an experienced Merchandiser to take ownership of the Cleaning & Laundry categories at Lakeland – the UK’s home of creative kitchenware and innovative home solutions. The Cleaning and Laundry categories are two highly visible, high-volume areas of the business; cleaning includes a mix of big branded suppliers and rapidly growing own-brand ranges, while Laundry carries some of the largest SKU counts and fastest moving stock.
This is a key role for someone who enjoys getting into the detail, forecasting confidently, and keeping a complex category running smoothly across multiple channels.
What you'll be doing
Category Leadership & Strategy
* Build and deliver the commercial strategy with your Buyer, aligned to company plans.
* Lead range planning, category reviews, assortment balance and pricing architecture.
* Create and manage weekly phasing, budget planning and forecasts.
Trading & Forecasting
* Own the WSSI and forecasting tools to manage sales, stock, intake and availability.
* Analyse weekly performance trends and recommend trading actions.
* Keep stock flowing into the right channels - stores, online, Amazon and franchise partners.
Stock, Suppliers & Operational Flow
* Manage 1,000+ SKUs sourced from 200 suppliers globally.
* Work with suppliers on availability, OTIF, lead times, MOQs and promotional funding.
* Collaborate with DC, freight and supply chain teams to ensure smooth intake and seasonal launches.
Team Leadership & Coaching
* Support and develop a Junior Merchandiser who is early in their merchandising journey.
* Provide structure, clarity and coaching to help build confidence and capability.
* Work collaboratively with a wider team of Merchandisers and Assistants (11 total).
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Work closely with Buying, Marketing, Digital, Retail and senior stakeholders.
* Attend in-store visits and contribute to layout, availability and customer insight reviews.
* Help embed calm, logical, structured ways of working across your category.
What we're looking for
You don’t need to be a homewares specialist - Lakeland value broad retail experience across product types. What matters is your ability to run a category with confidence.
* Strong Merchandiser or Senior Merchandiser experience in a fast-paced retail environment.
* Advanced Excel - you can “glue the numbers together” and spot risks early.
* Confident using forecasting/WSSI tools.
* Comfortable working with suppliers, managing stock flow and steering category decisions.
* A calm, rational, structured operator who can support and grow others.
* Able to manage complexity with confidence and stability.
Don't meet every single requirement? At Realise, we are dedicated to helping our clients build diverse, inclusive and authentic workplaces, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we would encourage you to apply anyway! You might just be the candidate we're looking for!
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