Sports
SAMARTH TANDON
SENIOR CATEGORY MANAGER
MUMBAI
Summary
Equipped with 15+ years of experience in Retail industry working with top organizations like Walmart, Aditya Birla Group, Gap and Shoppers Stop with diverse experience in startup eco-system.
Dedicated Retailed professional with a history of meeting company goals utilizing consistent and organized practices. Skilled in working under pressure and adapting to new situations and challenges to best enhance the organizational brand.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
6
6
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Senior Category Manager- Men's Apparels
Shoppers Stop
Mumbai
03.2022 - Current
- Ensuring Sales, Margin, SPSF, GMROF & Sellthru adherence to target for Men Activewear & Innerwear External Brands (portfolio of ~150 Cr)
- Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, providing valuable insights to inform purchasing decisions.
- Budgetary Planning and Range Procurement from brand partners including brands like Jockey, Van Huesen Innerwear, Puma & Adidas
- Space Allocation to drive improved SPSF year-on-year
- Closely working with VM team for monthly drops- defining key looks for VM & Marketing
- Onboard key brand partners to double online sales in less than a year
- Close co-ordination with Marketing/ Digital Marketing teams to run offline/ online activation.
Senior Category Manager- Kids
Shoppers Stop
Mumbai
03.2020 - 03.2022
- Optimized supplier base by conducting regular reviews of brand performance metrics and focus on space productivity- (portfolio of ~150 Cr) included brands like UCB, USPA, TCP, Mothercare, Hamleys etc
- Delivered consistent results against financial targets through rigorous budget planning & tracking.
- Enhanced team productivity by providing coaching, mentoring, and training to team members.
- Conducted thorough market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, opportunities, and threats within the industry.
- Spearheaded cross-functional initiatives with marketing teams resulting in successful marketing events within the category.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment on category objectives and priorities.
- Implemented data-driven decision-making processes to optimize brand mix, product mix etc. to maximize revenue opportunities.
Head- Buying & Merchandising
KidSuperStore.in (Certified under Start-up India)
Mumbai
02.2018 - 03.2020
- Headed Buying team for Offline & Online (Omni-Channel) Operations & Technology team for ERP & Website development.
- Handling a team of 12 people across Buying and Technology functions
- Handling 100+ brands including 4 private labels- dealing with vendors on Outright, SOR and Marketplace
- Played a central part in all aspects of private label- Budgeting, Range Creation, Vendor Identification, Costing, Manufacturing and Delivery
- Ensuring accurate management of inventory with a close track on inwards, sales, discounting, store transfers and outward (for SOR brands)
- Achieved 40% Month-on-Month growth in the first 6 months of starting online operations
- Collaborated with Marketing team to create ' Marketing calendar' and ensuring adherence by Buying and Design team for both online and offline channel
- Created templates for weekly/ monthly reviews with team members and Directors
- Demonstrated leadership skills in managing projects from concept to completion.
- Used strong analytical and problem-solving skills to develop effective solutions for challenging situations.
- Demonstrated respect, friendliness and willingness to help wherever needed.
Buyer Kidswear (Group Manager)
Pantaloons Fashion & Retail, Aditya Birla Group
Mumbai
07.2013 - 02.2018
- Ensuring Sales, Margin & Sellthru adherence to target for Private Labels (Portfolio of ~75Cr)
- Achieved double-digit LTL growth for 5 years in this portfolio
- Increased mix of Junior Girls from 24% to 30%
- Vital involvement in increasing mix of Kidswear from 8% to 15% in less than 5 years
- Awarded 'Exceed Expectation' or better rating for 4 consecutive years
- Launched new brands 'Poppers' & 'Ajile Girls'
- Played an important role in changing pricing strategy for Pantaloons Kids
- Coordinating with cross-functional teams like Designing, Planning, Marketing, VM to drive sales target.
Assistant Buyer Kidswear
Bharti-Walmart
Gurgaon
09.2009 - 06.2013
- Assisting the buyer to ensuring sales, margin and sellthru deliverables
- Vendor co-ordination and delivery timeline adherence
- Analyzing sales and stock status- Replenishment of stock based upon sales, analyzing forward week cover
- Working closely with store operation for sales adherence.
- Reduced stock shortages by closely monitoring inventory levels and proactively placing orders for replenishment.
- Assisted in creating engaging visual displays by providing input on product placement and selection based on sales data analysis.
- Developed strong rapport with suppliers through effective communication, fostering mutually beneficial partnerships that supported business growth.
- Assisted in developing seasonal buying plans, ensuring optimal merchandise assortment to meet customer demands.
- Improved sell-through rates by utilizing historical sales data to make informed decisions about markdowns and clearance promotions.
- Provided exceptional customer service by promptly addressing inquiries related to product availability, pricing, and special orders.
Management Trainee- Merchandising
Gap India
New Delhi
12.2008 - 07.2009
- Product development & sourcing according to buyer specifications
- Costing negotiations with factories and order allocation
- Sampling at various stages of pre-production and production
- Making BOMs and GSS (tech-pack) of each product and understanding quality and production complexity
- Ensuring timely dispatch of goods through follow-ups.
- Developed problem-solving abilities through hands-on experience with real-life business scenarios
Education
PGBM - General Management
Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
Kolkata 11.2023 - Current
Bachelor of Fashion Technology - Apparel Manufacturing & Information Technology
National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
Gandhinagar 01.2004 - 1 2008
10+2 (ISC) - Physics, Chemistry, Maths
St. Francis' College
Lucknow 01.2004 - 1 2004
10 (ICSE) - Physics, Chemistry, Maths
St. Francis' College
Lucknow 01.2002 - 1 2002
Skills
Team Management
Kidswear
Menswear
Offline (Brick & Mortar Stores)
Omni-channel
Private Label
National Brands
Trend Research
Inventory Management
Negotiation
Category Management- Buying & Merchandising
Certification
Negotiation Skill (conducted by Gyanodaya- Aditya Birla Group)
Awards And Acknowledgements
- Nominated for Economic Times Young Leader Award (2015-16)
- Winner of Aditya Birla Young Achiever Award (2014-15)
- Winner of GEM (Going Extra Mile) Award (2016)
- Awarded 'Exceeds Expectation' rating for 4 consecutive years
Interests
Playstation
Timeline
PGBM - General Management
Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
11.2023 - Current
Senior Category Manager- Men's Apparels
Shoppers Stop
03.2022 - Current
Senior Category Manager- Kids
Shoppers Stop
03.2020 - 03.2022
Head- Buying & Merchandising
KidSuperStore.in (Certified under Start-up India)
02.2018 - 03.2020
Buyer Kidswear (Group Manager)
Pantaloons Fashion & Retail, Aditya Birla Group
07.2013 - 02.2018
Assistant Buyer Kidswear
Bharti-Walmart
09.2009 - 06.2013
Management Trainee- Merchandising
Gap India
12.2008 - 07.2009
Bachelor of Fashion Technology - Apparel Manufacturing & Information Technology
National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
01.2004 - 1 2008
10+2 (ISC) - Physics, Chemistry, Maths
St. Francis' College
01.2004 - 1 2004
10 (ICSE) - Physics, Chemistry, Maths
St. Francis' College
01.2002 - 1 2002