Gucci Merchandising Director — Categories

Location
Seniority Director
Department Merchandising, Buying & Planning
Industry Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
Posted Apr 14, 2026
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Gucci seeks a Merchandising Director — Categories in Shanghai to lead China buying teams, optimise OTB and manage inventory and allocations.

Overview

Gucci is an iconic Italian luxury house recognised for progressive creativity, Italian craftsmanship and global cultural influence. As part of the Kering group, Gucci operates across fashion, leather goods, accessories and beauty and combines heritage savoir‑faire with contemporary design and commercial ambition.

Role & Responsibilities

  • Lead and supervise the Shanghai‑based China buying teams for designated categories, setting direction for assortment, mix and allocation in line with senior management merchandising strategies.
  • Translate Open‑To‑Buy (OTB) plans into executable buying decisions across styles, fabrics, functionalities and colours to maximise sales, inventory turn and profitability while protecting brand image.
  • Manage inventory levels, deliveries and replenishment; coordinate allocations to Directly Operated Stores (DOS) and resolve stock issues with stores and the warehouse.
  • Monitor sales performance, sell‑through rates and ageing; define and execute liquidation, markdown/mark‑up and promotional tactics for seasonal and clearance periods.
  • Collaborate with Merchandise Planning to align buying with market OTB plans and with Category Managers to address product needs and assortment gaps.
  • Partner cross‑functionally with Store Operations, Visual Merchandising, Public Relations, Advertising, Finance, Training and After‑Sales to align merchandising, promotional and retail strategies.
  • Provide product training and trend guidance to frontline staff; gather and channel store feedback into future assortment and merchandising plans.
  • Build and develop the buying team through coaching, performance management and people development initiatives.
  • Regularly report to Managing Directors on sales, inventory, merchandise mix and other critical commercial KPIs.
  • Travel extensively domestically for store visits and internationally (notably to Italy) for buying and supplier engagement.

Qualifications

  • Proven leadership in merchandising or buying with ability to lead multi‑disciplinary teams and influence senior stakeholders.
  • Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated success in assortment planning, allocation and OTB execution in a premium or luxury retail environment.
  • Advanced analytical capability to interpret sales, inventory and sell‑through data and convert insights into actionable merchandising decisions.
  • Excellent cross‑functional communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience liaising with stores, planning, VM, PR and finance.
  • Readiness for frequent international and domestic travel and comfort operating across fast‑paced retail cycles and seasonal peaks.

Skills

Assortment planning Open‑to‑Buy (OTB) management Inventory management and replenishment Sell‑through and markdown strategy Merchandise allocation Cross‑functional stakeholder collaboration Team leadership and talent development Retail performance analysis

Experience

Extensive background in luxury apparel merchandising and buying; typically 10+ years in buying/merchandising roles with at least 5 years in leadership positions managing buying teams and assortment for multiple stores or regions.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising, business, retail management or related discipline; advanced degree or specialised merchandising qualification preferred.

Workplace

The successful candidate will be located in Shanghai, Shanghai, China.

Culture

Gucci blends strong creative ambition with rigorous commercial discipline; the workplace emphasises craftsmanship, design excellence and cross‑disciplinary collaboration. Teams operate in a fast‑paced, international environment where innovation, attention to detail and cultural sensitivity are prized.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A.

The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Gucci, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Category Merchandising», «Director of Buying and Assortment», «Head of Merchandising — Categories», «Category Merchandise Director», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.