Merchandise Analyst

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

POSITION: MERCHANDISE ANALYST

Location: Blantyre

OVERVIEW

A fast-growing retail company in Malawi invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill the position of Merchandise Analyst in the Operations Department.

Reporting to: Lead Buyer

Dotted-line Reporting to: Visual Merchandizer / Category Management Officer

Location: Blantyre

JOB PURPOSE

The Merchandise Analyst will provide data-driven insights to support buying, merchandising, stock, pricing, and commercial decisions. The role will analyse sales, stock, margins, pricing, promotions, and product performance to identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability, product availability, and stock efficiency.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Sales & Merchandise Analysis

- Analyse daily, weekly, and monthly sales performance by store, department, category, and product.

- Monitor sales trends, product performance, stock turnover, and profitability.

- Identify high-performing and underperforming products and categories.

- Provide actionable insights to support buying and merchandising decisions.

Stock & Inventory Analysis

- Monitor stock levels, stock movement, stock-outs, overstocking, slow-moving products, and expired products.

- Analyse stock turnover and identify opportunities to improve inventory efficiency.

- Support stock-take analysis, variance investigations, and shrinkage-control reporting.

- Recommend stock transfers, markdowns, promotions, or discontinuation where appropriate.

Pricing, Margin & Promotion Analysis

- Monitor selling prices, cost prices, mark-ups, and margins.

- Identify pricing errors, margin risks, and opportunities for improved profitability.

- Analyse the effectiveness of promotions, discounts, and special offers.

- Recommend improvements to promotional strategies based on performance data.

Buying & Forecasting Support

- Support buyers and merchandising teams with demand forecasts, range reviews, and purchasing recommendations.

- Provide insights into customer demand and product trends.

- Highlight potential stock risks and opportunities for new products or range adjustments.

Market & Competitor Analysis

- Monitor competitor pricing, promotions, product ranges, and market trends.

- Analyse competitor activity and provide insights to support commercial decisions.

Reporting & Business Intelligence

- Develop accurate and timely sales, stock, pricing, margin, and merchandising reports.

- Maintain dashboards and merchandising databases.

- Prepare presentations and recommendations for Management.

- Ensure all information is accurate, confidential, and compliant with Company policies.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, Economics, Statistics, Marketing, Retail Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.

- Minimum 5 years' experience in merchandising analysis, retail operations, category management, buying, finance, or stock control.

- Proven experience in retail sales, stock, pricing, and margin analysis.

- Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience in data analysis and reporting.

- Experience with retail, POS, ERP, or inventory management systems.

- Experience with dashboards, reporting tools, or data visualisation software is an added advantage.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements should send their application letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae, and names of three traceable referees (preferably previous employers) to:

vacancies@renaissanceholdingsmw.net

Closing Date: Monday, 7th September 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.