Regional Merchant

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort

 

Who We Are:

At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

 

If you are a current Ashley employee: Please login to your UKG account and apply using the internal job board.

 

Summary:

• The Regional Merchant is responsible for driving store-level product performance, assortment execution, and revenue growth across a defined group of retail stores with a territory of 10-20 Stores. This role serves as the critical bridge between National Merchandising strategy and in-store customer demand, ensuring that product assortments, inventory flow, pricing execution, and visual presentation align with regional customer demographics and sales opportunities.
• Operating within a multibillion-dollar furniture retail environment, the Regional Merchant manages 10-20 stores within a defined geographic territory, partnering closely with National Merchandising, Merchandise Planning, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, Store Sales, and Supply Chain to maximize product velocity, margin performance, and customer experience.
• The Regional Merchant plays a pivotal role in ensuring that store assortments are optimized for local customer needs while maintaining alignment with national brand strategies.

 

Core Responsibilities:

 Regional Assortment Optimization

• Localize national assortments based on regional customer demographics, home styles, and buying behavior
• Identify assortment gaps and regional opportunities within core categories such as Bedroom, Dining, Motion Upholstery, Stationary Upholstery and Occasional Furniture
• Recommend product swaps, expansions, or exits to maximize sales productivity
• Ensure store assortments reflect regional demand while maintaining brand consistency

 Store Product Performance Management

• Analyze store-level sales performance and product velocity trends across the region
• Identify top performers, underperformers, and emerging trends
• Partner with Merchandise Planning & Supply Chain to adjust inventory allocation and replenishment strategies
• Drive improvements in Sales Per Square Foot, Sku Productivity, Category Mix and Margin Performance

 In Store Product Execution

• Conduct monthly store visits and velocity walks across assigned stores
• Evaluate floor placement effectiveness, product storytelling, competitive positioning, price perception, and product adjacencies
• Provide feedback and recommendations to improve visual merchandising and customer flow

 New Store & Remodel Support

• Lead product assortment planning and floor execution for new store openings, store relocations and major remodels
• Partner with Visual Merchandising and Store Operations to ensure optimal product presentation and assortment mix
• Validate that floor sets reflect regional sales opportunities and customer demographics

 Cross Functional Partnership

• National Merchandising – Provide regional insight to include future product development and assortment planning
• Merchandise Planning – Align on inventory levels, allocation strategies, and demand signals
• Visual Merchandising – Ensure product placement aligns with customer flow and storytelling
• Store Operations – Support store teams with product knowledge and sales enablement
• Retail Supply Chain – Identify supply issues impacting store availability and sales opportunities