General Merchandise Manager (GMM) – Actionsports and Outdoor Hardgoods - REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)

Overview:

As the General Merchandise Manager (GMM), you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and success of our omni-channel product strategy. The GMM is responsible for creating and executing multi-year, annual, and seasonal merchandising strategies that align with the Co-op’s goals. This role is pivotal in delivering consumer-centric product assortments across multiple product categories and vendors within Actionsports and Outdoor Hardgoods, driving sales growth, sustainable profitability, and increased market share in the outdoor specialty retail sector. You will ensure our company stays relevant by understanding and forecasting market trends, emerging brands, and changing consumer behaviors to inform inventory allocation, store space, marketing, and internal resourcing. The role involves building and leading a robust merchant team that manages vendor relationships, product assortment, pricing, promotions, and vendor terms for $2B+ in revenue. Collaboration with senior leaders across marketing, commercial channels, planning, and supply chain is essential to realize a compelling omni-channel Go to Market (GTM) plan across all customer touchpoints, incorporating their insights into strategies.

 

At REI Co-op, we believe time outside is fundamental to a life well lived and exist to inspire and enable a life outside for everyone.  To deliver on that promise, we are working with our 17,000+ employees, 23M members and the broader outdoor community toward a reality where everyone has the opportunity to be themselves, to access opportunities and find their place in the outdoors. For us, that means: 

 

• Investing in work that removes the barriers people and communities face to getting outside.
• Delivering relevant products, experiences, and expertise to equip and inspire a new generation of outdoor stewards.
• Cultivating a workforce that reflects and inspires the demographics of the markets we serve.
• Leading the industry’s efforts to welcome people and communities historically underrepresented into outdoor media and culture.

Responsibilities:

Essential Leadership Behaviors

 

The Essential Leadership Behaviors are required by the future DVP, GMM to connect directly to the mission, the strategy and deliver on the quadruple bottom line that measures success for the Co-op: outcomes for our employees, better outcomes for members, the positive impact we have on the communities we serve, all made possible by a growing and profitable business.

 

The DVP, GMM – Actionsports and Outdoor Hardgoods will do this by:

 

• As a leader at the co-op, develops a deep understanding of, effectively communicates and broadly supports execution of company growth agenda and priorities.
• Able to translate strategic vision into action and effectively communicate core merchandising and specific category details to those across the business to ensure understanding and alignment.
• Lead with a customer-focused mindset.
• Passion and commitment to our REDI agenda and DEI overall.
• Ensures accountability of strategies into actionable, aligned divisional plans and executes successful delivery across DMMs, CMM teams, and cross-functional partners.
• Identifies and communicates key responsibilities and practices to ensure the organization promotes a successful attitude, confidence in leadership, and teamwork to achieve business results.
• Supports the implementation of company programs, procedures, methods and practices to promote REI key messages.
• Collaborates closely with the Allocation, Assortment, and Merchandising Data teams to ensure alignment and execution of merchandising strategies.
• Leverages data insights from the Merchandising Data team to inform strategic decisions and optimize product assortments and allocations.
• Challenges and inspires team to achieve business results.
• Provides coaching, direction and leadership support to employees to achieve division, company and customer results.
• Establishes and maintains visibility within the division.
• Monitors operational statistics, reports trends, variances and issues, and takes appropriate action.
• Fosters a positive team-oriented environment that recognizes successes and learns from challenges.
• Recruits and builds high performing teams that inspire others to learn, problem solve creatively and succeed.
• Develops and manages an environment that thrives on developing future leaders in the business and embraces the company’s values in action and behaviors
• Develop and communicate a clear and compelling merchandising vision, strategy, and 5-year roadmap aligning with the organization's broader business objectives.
• Lead the identification, development, and implementation of new business strategies, initiatives, and product lines.
• Drive initiatives to enhance customer experience, increase market share, and meet financial targets (i.e., margin, pricing, market share, traffic, etc.).
• Set assortment architecture framework, category expansion and exits, pricing strategy, and activity positioning for all categories under oversight, supporting an aligned process across merchandising.
• Lead and mentor across divisional organization to enable the strategy execution through the GTM calendar, expectations, and goals.
• Analyze data and understand market trends, consumer behavior, and the competitive landscape to develop product strategies and inform regional assortments across categories.
• Integrate insights from Allocation and Assortment teams to create data-driven merchandising strategies that align with overall business objectives.
• Partner with the Merchandising Data team to analyze sales data, market trends, and consumer behavior to inform assortment planning and inventory management.
• Work with the Allocation team to ensure optimal distribution of products across all channels, maximizing sales potential and inventory efficiency.
• Work closely with marketing, visual, and digital merchandising to create product presentations that support strategy.
• Ensure incorporation of policies, procedures, and objectives for the Merchandising areas to operate effectively and efficiently.
• Provide leadership and strategic direction to achieve financial goals, drive the core business, and the transformation agenda.
• Integrate with the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) methodology to facilitate enterprise planning from a product, financial, and inventory management perspective.

Professional Qualifications and Experience

The Professional Qualifications and Experience required by the DVP, GMM are imperative to the success of the candidate and the long-term success of the Co-op. 

 

• Significant experience building and leading teams in merchandising and strategy development in a retailer or brand
• Knowledge of industry activity, brands and product trends
• Strategic change agent with track-record of evolving merchandising teams through people, process, technology in a fast-paced environment
• Data driven leader who understands the power of leveraging data to understand consumer trends and identify new growth areas
• Demonstrated understanding of product lifecycle management, event planning, vendor negotiations, and financial KPIs
• Proven track record of successful delivery of strategic and operational initiatives from concept through implementation, including new business development, category expansion and contractions and exits
• Ability to assess business risks proactively and collaborate to mitigate
• Understanding of product development, sourcing and manufacturing of hard and soft goods
• Demonstrated experience bringing large scale change opportunities to life through storytelling, fact-based orientation, and business analytics to inform complex decision making
• Experienced with demand planning, supply planning and forecasting using state-of-the-art merchandising software
• Results-oriented, adept in conflict resolution, skilled at prioritization and change management
• An inclusive leadership style and the ability to engage and communicate with all levels of the organization, from the C-suite to product specialists
• People management experience including strong interpersonal and leadership skills: meeting facilitation, skill-sharing and training, organization, conflict management, change agent, manage relationships
• Collaborative thinker, who will drive enterprise outcomes, and facilitate a “win-together” culture
• Success leading and developing a team of world-class merchandising and product development professionals, including ability to coach, develop and leverage the experience of seasoned executives within organization
• Excellent, proven interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with all levels
• Establishes trust and inspires others
• Education - Undergraduate degree and MBA from a leading program are highly desirable

Closing:

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization. We know that there's strength in our diversity – that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn.  

 

Pay Transparency 

We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic location or other relevant factors.   

REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and accrued time off.  Click here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile. 

Base Pay Range:USD $175,500.00 - USD $347,900.00 /Yr.