Assistant Product Development Manager (Gift Shop)

The Department

The Customer Strategy, Insights, and Innovation (CSII) Division is dedicated to cultivating customer-centric capabilities across the Club ecosystem and shaping customer strategies that drive business growth. Through a data-driven approach, the Division strives to achieve a 360-degree understanding and insights of owners, members and wagering customers, enabling the seamless design of end-to-end customer experiences across online and offline channels (Racecourses and Off-course Betting Branches). This is achieved by integrating Clubwide customer data onto a unified platform, creating a single view of our customers that empowers us to deliver personalised offers and unique experiences.

With around 86 off-course betting branches, 2 racecourses & online platform, Retail and Telebet Services Department is committed to provide quality and efficient service to our customers.

Gift at Races team (GAR) aims to be the premier traffic & awareness driver to support retail in its field targeting both local and international customers.

Our merchandize is positioned as a self-financing marketing tool for the club and realised through the brand “Gift at Races”. The vision of the “Gift at Races” is to develop quality merchandise for the mass, new segment, fans & tourist to:
• Sustain loyalty of existing fans
• Enhance the customer journey to arouse their repetitiveness
• Develop our products as a popular culture beyond the racecourses, branches and fans
• Be the “must-go” destination in racecourses and branches.

The Job

You will
• Promotes GAR as a branding vehicle and customer engagement tool to enhance public interest in sports and enhance experience of customers at Racecourse or other Club’s venues via creative merchandising strategy and effective procurement
• Lead the product development team on develops and manages souvenir and gifting assortment including but not limited to accessories/ collectibles/ household/ plush & toys/ stationery/ global sourcing to create excitement to customers. Conduct researches and collects Voice-Of-Customers by conducting survey or questionnaire at planning stage
• Identifies the latest gifting trend and transforms GAR products with innovative and contemporary designs to attract and excite our customers while adhering to the brand proposition. Conduct frequent market visits and competitor research to provide local data and qualitative comments to support opportunities
• Explore & develop consignment/ co-branding partnership opportunities with brands, IP, designer, illustrators etc to focus on designated target segments in order to drive racing interest and to showcase the sports and entertainment aspects of horse racing
• Develops and maintains our owned IP and resources on developing related artwork for merchandising or campaign to support sales & marketing activities
• Works with marketing, visual marketing, eCommerce and operations to ensure product sell-through with story-telling marketing, VM and sales talk in place. Closely collaborates with teams on Product Launch & marketing Plan to ensure the new products have thriving performance on the launch in both physical & e-shop. Coordinate with Marketing and VM team on stock arrangement for window rotation set up and deliver Product Training to the frontline
• Oversees the product development and merchandising processes; collectively works with procurement & finance tea, on supplier set-up, product development, sourcing, procurement process and quality control that in line with club standard, direction and policy
• Execute suitable merchandising assortment and perform product replenishment and allocation by stores
• Manages suppliers to ensure the quality & timeline meets to the Club standard and request. Liaises with suppliers and follows in depth from concept to product; ensures product delivery on time
• Support financial analysis, planning and other Management projects of presentation materials for Management. Lead Monthly OTB and forecasting with planner
• Continuously review product sales performance to challenge and improve inventory efficiencies and optimize business growth
• Support growing business on Online to Office
• Manages and handles administrative & reconciliation work related to product development with operations, finance and procurement team from time to time
• Supports on-course sales activities during major event meetings on weekends & new, ad-hoc projects including Pop Ups, mega sales and other Marketing and Sales related opportunities
• Ensures compliance with Responsible Gambling Policy (RGP) and all stipulated legal requirements pertaining to wagering, thereby protecting the integrity of the Club’s business
• Undertakes other duties as assigned by Line Manager

About You

You should have
• A Bachelor degree preferably in Product or Graphic Design, Marketing, Fashion, Business Administration or related disciplines
• A minimum of 7 years’ working experiences within consumer retail industries, preferably in merchandising and product development experience in gifts & premium, toys, souvenir, collections, promotion items and travel accessories or relevance project management experience
• Strong leadership and personnel management skills. Proven ability to mentor and develop team members
• Numerically sensitive with strong commercial sense
• Highly creative with good design sense
• Excellent technical knowledge and communication skills, both verbal and written with the ability to influence and settle across various function and levels
• Strong interpersonal, team-player and analytical skills
• Good command in both written and spoken English and Chinese
• Able to work under pressure to and be a strong team player
• Excellent presentation skills and story-telling skillset
• Develop & manage Artwork & Visual
• Immediately available preferred

Terms of Employment

The level of appointment will be commensurate with qualification and experience.

Closing Date

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

We are an equal opportunity employer. Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with the Club's notice to employees and prospective employees relating to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. A copy of which will be provided immediately upon request.