VP of Retail

Salaried/Exempt/Onsite

Please note: Candidates should be local to WI or located in a neighboring state, where commute is reasonable.

Wantable, Inc. is Wisconsin’s fastest growing ecommerce company and the number one category-specific online personal shopping service. We are financially strong, profitable, and are driven to change the way people discover and buy fashion.  If you want more out of life than a paycheck and want to change the way consumers fall in love with products, then we want to talk to you. 

Reporting directly to the CEO, the VP of Retail is responsible for driving merchandise strategies, overseeing retail operations for Wantable.com, developing retail store concepts, and maximizing business profitability. The VP of Retail will work closely with the VP of Brands on product development strategies, create market penetration strategies for the Wantable.com brand, and initiate pricing strategies cross-departmentally and cohesively with our Private Brand team. Additionally, this role will oversee the Director of Merchandising, the Director of Planning, and their respective teams, ensuring that all product assortment, financial, and creative goals are met. You will be tasked with building and leading a world-class team and creating pathways for their success.

General Responsibilities  

• Oversee the Director of Merchandising, the Director of Planning, and their respective teams to ensure operational efficiency and alignment with company goals.
• Lead, coach, and mentor department heads by providing feedback and guidance on best practices and prioritizing the team’s tasks to ensure efficient use of resources.
• Implement and maintain data-driven initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the differentiated customer assortment.
• Conduct weekly business reviews and product recaps to chase opportunities and inform future season strategies.
• Partner with the merchandising, planning, and marketing teams to execute retail strategies.
• Serve as the Executive representative of the retail team within the company as needed.

Merchandise/Supply Chain Management 

• Lead, train, and mentor the merchandising and planning teams to source and curate products our customers crave.
• Set margin goals, product turn rates, and markdown strategies to maximize return on inventory.
• Identify, analyze, and report merchandise KPIs using internal and third-party tools. Mastery of inventory management is essential.

Business and Strategy 

• Develop seasonal strategies that support our Themed Edits, working closely with our Chief Marketing Officer. 
• Work with the buying team to establish an assortment mix that achieves annual/seasonal financial plans while supporting our unique business model.
• Assess the strengths of our competitors to enhance our assortment. Evaluate pricing strategies to remain competitively dominant in existing and emerging markets.
• Liaise with finance and executive teams to develop short- and long-range price structure evaluation processes to maximize profitability.
• Work closely with our Director of Merchandising and our VP of Brands to develop new products using data derived from Edit sales.

Other Duties

Please note this job description does not cover all possible duties. Responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

We are unable to provide visa sponsorship. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.

Requirements

• 15+ years of overall buying/merchandising/planning experience in apparel with extensive experience in a management role.

• Have 10+ years of experience as a multi-category manager, overseeing both the assortment and financial aspects of merchandising.
• Experience as a merchandising manager in multiple product lines, with an emphasis on apparel, is essential.
• Must be able to adapt to constant change and multi-task in a highly dynamic startup environment.
• Must be results-oriented and have excellent organizational skills.
• Demonstrated leadership skills are imperative.
• Must have complete knowledge of US retail and fashion trends 
• Must be data-driven and have the ability to speak intellectually with planning, financial, marketing, and buying teams. 
• A deep understanding of online retail is required, and experience with multi-channel retail is a plus.

Benefits

Wantable team members enjoy free food, coffee, and drinks in our HQ's beautiful Wantable Cafe. We have a laid-back, casual environment in a state-of-the-art HQ in Walkers Point.

We offer flexible schedules, paid parental leave (mothers AND fathers), and a private room for nursing mothers.

Even more exciting: paid vacation and seven paid holidays per year, plus a 50% discount on all merchandise. You’ll be eligible for the discount on your first day.

Important, but maybe less thrilling: we have ample parking, we offer medical (traditional and high deductible), dental, and vision insurance, as well as a 401K (both pre-tax and Roth options).