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SAI KISHAN
Commercial Merchandise Strategist Senior Merchandiser · H&M

Leading buying, pricing, allocation, and inventory strategy to drive profitable omni-channel growth.

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0Unit Growth
0Stores Overseen
0Clearance Sell-Through
0Stock Availability
About Me

The Person
Behind the
Numbers.

I operate where pricing strategy, inventory economics, and commercial execution intersect. I focus on full price sell-through, margin protection and disciplined financial ownership across complex omni-channel markets.

At H&M – Alshaya Group, I lead commercial performance for 9 MENA markets across 90+ stores and 5 e-commerce channels. I translate strategy into execution by strengthening markdown governance, optimizing inventory flow, and aligning pricing architecture with customer value.

Microsoft Excel Power BI Blue Yonder Oracle Merchandising Demand Forecasting Markdown Strategy Assortment Planning KPI Reporting Microsoft Excel Power BI Blue Yonder Oracle Merchandising Demand Forecasting Markdown Strategy Assortment Planning KPI Reporting
Kidswear
Pricing
Strategy
Scroll to explore
01 Problem
Weak Pricing
Perception

Weak pricing perception across the kidswear category was impacting units sold and overall sales value — customers perceived the range as unaffordable relative to competitors, holding back commercial performance.

02 Action
Pricing
Roadmap Built

Built a structured pricing roadmap across short, mid, and long time horizons. Rebalanced entry price points and range architecture in alignment with franchise buying, financial targets, and market dynamics.

03 Result
120% Unit
Uplift

Delivered a 120% uplift in units sold and an 87% increase in sales value, while protecting margin integrity. Recognised with the H&M President's Award — the highest commercial recognition within the franchise.

Impact

Moments That
Mattered.

01

Drove 7% LFL growth across 9 MENA markets by sharpening weekly trade decisions, recalibrating store depth, and aligning promotions with real-time sell-through performance.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Commercial Trading
02

Delivered 70%+ sell-through across ISR, MSS, and ESS campaigns by controlling markdown timing and optimizing assortment mix for each sale phase.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Markdown Strategy
03

Served as commercial lead in partnership with IT to architect allocation, forecasting, and replenishment logic, embedding brand trading principles into scalable system workflows.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Systems Architecture
04

Designed and scaled advanced Power BI trading infrastructure, eliminating 90% of manual reporting and enabling real-time visibility into margin, sell-through, and stock risk.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Data & Reporting
05

Improved stock availability to 90% and reduced stockouts by 30% through demand-led allocation models and dynamic replenishment triggers by store profile.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Allocation Strategy
06

Led price architecture and range segmentation strategy across markets, aligning entry price ladders with customer value perception to strengthen full-price sell-through.

H&M – Alshaya Group · Pricing Strategy
Career Timeline

Work
Experience.

09/2025 — Present
(01)
H&M – Alshaya Group
Senior Merchandiser / Planner
Kuwait · MENA Region
+ Open
  • Kidswear Pricing Strategy: Developed and executed a comprehensive short, mid, and long-term pricing roadmap, delivering a 120% uplift in units sold and 87% increase in sales value.
  • Buying & Assortment Strategy: Liaised directly with the H&M Sweden franchise team to influence assortments, aligning with reference market and bottom-up sales plans.
  • MENA Region Accountability: Led planning across 9 markets, 90+ retail stores, and 5 e-com sites, ensuring alignment with global strategies and financial KPIs.
  • Markdown & Clearance Management: Directed ISR, MSS, and ESS sale campaigns, reducing ageing stock from 15% to 6%.
  • Commercial Leadership: Drove weekly commercial focuses and initiated stock and sales development actions to strengthen the customer offer.
  • Tool Development: Partnered with IT to design and launch an in-house allocation, replenishment, and forecasting tool.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborated with supply chain, VM, operations, and marketing, resulting in a 7% increase in LFL growth.
10/2022 — 09/2025
(02)
H&M – Alshaya Group
Merchandiser / Planner
Kuwait
+ Open
  • Stock Availability & Replenishment: Optimized allocation tools, achieving 90% product availability and reducing stockouts by 30%.
  • Trend Analysis & Assortment Planning: Analyzed historical data and market trends, improving units sold by 12% and sales value by 5%.
  • Advanced Data & Reporting: Built advanced Power BI dashboards, reducing reporting time by 90%.
02/2020 — 10/2020
(03)
Puca Global
Product Developer
Dubai, UAE
+ Open
  • Product Development: Led assortment planning for activewear and footwear, ensuring alignment with market trends and sales targets.
  • Supplier Negotiations: Secured favorable supplier terms, contributing to a 25% reduction in lead times.
  • E-Commerce Strategy: Enhanced product visibility, driving a 20% increase in online sales.
  • Market Leadership: Spearheaded the launch of the first-ever hemp products in the Middle East, growing category sales by 30%.
01/2019 — 01/2020
(04)
Cocachi
Co-Founder
India
+ Open
  • Sustainable Brand Development: Co-founded an eco-friendly kidswear brand, driving product innovation from concept to market.
  • Merchandising & Buying: Led end-to-end merchandising and buying plans with emphasis on organic and sustainable products.
  • Supplier Optimization: Negotiated supplier contracts for favorable pricing and lead times.
  • Market Research: Leveraged trend analysis to position the brand in the growing sustainable fashion market.
Recognition

Awards &
Honours.

🏆
H&M · 2025
President's Award
Awarded for the Kidswear pricing project — delivering transformative results in pricing perception and sales growth across the MENA region.
H&M · 2023 · 2025
Employee of the Quarter
Multiple awards for exceptional contribution to sales growth and reporting efficiency through advanced data tools and Power BI dashboards.
🎖
Alshaya Group · 2024
Alshaya Recognition Club
Recognized for exceptional demand planning expertise, optimizing inventory flow and product availability across markets.
Technical Toolkit

Skills &
Tools.

Core Competencies
  • Merchandise Planning & StrategyCore
  • Financial & Performance KPI ManagementCore
  • Cross-Functional CollaborationCore
  • Markdown Optimization & PricingCore
  • Buying & Sourcing StrategyCore
  • Supplier & Vendor ManagementCore
  • Data Analysis & ForecastingCore
Technical Tools
  • Microsoft ExcelAdvanced
  • Microsoft PowerPointAdvanced
  • Power BIAdvanced
  • Blue YonderProficient
  • Oracle MerchandisingProficient
  • Allocation & Replenishment ToolsAdvanced
Education
Bachelor of
Fashion Technology
(Apparel Production)
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
India
2015 — 2019
Professional Development

Licenses &
Certifications.

📜
Franklin Covey
Trust & Inspire
Issued December 2025
+More certifications
coming soon
+More certifications
coming soon
LinkedIn Recommendations

What People
Are Saying.

Sai is the kind of leader who doesn't wait to be asked — he steps in, takes charge, and delivers results. When our replenishment system was retired, Sai led the rebuild from the ground up, restoring a critical process with zero disruption. His pricing insights reshaped Kidswear strategy, and his self-taught Power BI expertise brought new efficiency to planning and reporting. His recognition with the President's Award is well deserved.
D
Divisional Leadership Team
H&M – Alshaya Group
Sai is definitely one of the smartest people I know at H&M. In the first 6 months of joining, he automated reports which took people almost 5 hours to work on manually. He has always been quick to analyze tasks holding the team back and tackling them through creative thinking. He would be a huge asset to any team he joins.
A
Anrea Dsouza
Merchandising · Zalando · formerly H&M
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