Christopher Ray

Head of Merchandising at B&Q; Boutique Investor and Charity Ambassador

Greater Bournemouth Area

About

B&Q is helping customers improve their home’s. My role leads the Paint, Flooring, Lighting and Decor categories specifically looking at the development of the next three years of strategic intent. As the Head of Merchandising I lead a team of 13 and we are building and enhancing a strong growth category with lots of exciting developments every week. Customer insight, range change, new product innovation and optimum stock management are the cornerstones of our approach. Alongside this are a number of impactful change projects; Category and Channel strategy development, our Campaign improvement squad and really excitingly our new Forecasting and Replenishment project (completely changing our systems, processes and ways of working)

Experience

  • B&Q (12 yrs 11 mos)
    • Head of Merchandising
      Nov 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

      A trusted and impactful leader, driving change in the role of Head of Merchandising for Decor & Surfaces

    • Head of Merchandising
      Sep 2023 - Nov 2024 · 1 yr 3 mos

      Leading a team to drive sales and margin across all of the Building and Technical categories at B&Q

    • Head of Merchandising
      Oct 2019 - Sep 2023 · 4 yrs

      Head of Merchandising for Outdoor category

  • Owner at merchforretail
    Nov 2006 - Aug 2013 · 6 yrs 10 mos

    A boutique retail consultancy that offers practical and realistic solutions to a number of high street retailers. Interim Merchandising is my specialism alongside developing a number of proven training and development solutions. Both areas are delivered whilst understanding the complex people impacts of organisational change and the huge demands to deliver results fast.

  • New Look (9 yrs)
    • Head of Merchandising
      May 2003 - Nov 2006 · 3 yrs 7 mos

      As the Head of Merchandising I owned and managed the divisional suite of KPI's. Shaping the strategic plan and implementing many of its component parts, including a tighter stock control model, reducing year on year markdown levels and potentialising the key profit blocks of denim and quick turnaround t-shirts. I also built, trained and developed a merchandising team of six.

    • Merchandiser
      Dec 1997 - Apr 2003 · 5 yrs 5 mos

      Challenged, influenced and above all drove the development of the departmental strategy and the product range builds to achieve our agreed financial targets. Strengths were WSSI management, weekly trading and ensuring time spent with team, customers and retail

  • Sales Manager at Debenhams
    Jul 1995 - Nov 1997 · 2 yrs 5 mos