About the role
About Crepdog Crew:Crepdog Crew (CDC) is India's leading destination for authentic streetwear, sneakers, and contemporary fashion. As we continue to expand our private label and brand portfolio, we are looking for an experienced Category Manager – Men's Buying & Merchandising to lead category growth, product assortment, sourcing strategy, and vendor partnerships for our menswear business.
Role Description:The Category Manager will be responsible for driving the end-to-end buying and merchandising strategy for the men's apparel category. This includes category planning, product selection, vendor management, sourcing coordination, inventory optimization, pricing, and commercial performance while ensuring timely product launches aligned with market trends and customer demand.
Roles & Responsibilities:
- Own the buying and merchandising strategy for the men's apparel category.
- Develop seasonal assortments based on consumer insights, sales trends, and market opportunities.
- Manage vendor relationships, sourcing partners, and manufacturing units to ensure quality, pricing, and timely deliveries.
- Drive category performance through assortment planning, pricing, inventory management, and promotional strategies.
- Monitor sales, margins, sell-through, and inventory health to maximize profitability.
- Collaborate with Design, Production, Marketing, and Supply Chain teams to ensure successful product launches.
- Negotiate commercial terms, product costing, and delivery timelines with suppliers.
- Identify new sourcing opportunities, vendors, and product innovations to strengthen the category.
- Prepare category performance reports, forecasts, and business reviews for leadership.
Preferred Qualifications:
- 10-12 years of experience in Buying, Merchandising, Category Management, or Apparel Sourcing.
- Bachelor's degree in Fashion Technology, Textile Engineering, Apparel Production, Fashion Management, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of men's fashion, apparel sourcing, merchandising, and product lifecycle management.
- Proven experience in vendor management, commercial negotiations, costing, and inventory planning.
- Excellent analytical skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and merchandising reports.
- Strong communication, stakeholder management, and decision-making abilities.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced retail, D2C, or fashion environment.
Good to Have:
- Experience handling men's categories such as T-shirts, Shirts, Polos, Hoodies, Joggers, Cargos, Denim, and Co-ords.
- Existing network of fabric mills, apparel manufacturers, and sourcing partners across India.
- Prior experience with D2C, streetwear, fashion retail, lifestyle brands, buying houses, or export houses.
- Passion for fashion, streetwear, and consumer trends.
What We Offer:
- Opportunity to build and scale one of India's fastest-growing streetwear and fashion categories.
- High ownership with direct exposure to senior leadership and category strategy.
- A collaborative, fast-paced, and entrepreneurial work environment.
- Career growth opportunities within India's leading sneaker and streetwear ecosystem.