Job Description

Job Purpose:
The Merchandise planner develops, maintains, analyzes and executes category level item plans for one or more departments. The Planner is also responsible for store allocations and works directly with Buyer and Merchandise & Planning Manager to achieve strategic goals. The position works directly with suppliers to exchange orders, sales data and item availability information. Manage, train and monitor the Orders Clerks.Key Skills needed:

• Strong analytical and financial skill
• High attention to detail
• Inventory management
• Sales planning
• Forecasting
• Expert level skills in retail merchandising tools and Microsoft tools/applications such as Excel and Outlook
• Must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and able to work with all levels within the organization
• Replenishment system
• Taking responsibility for development and have a hunger for autonomy and accountability
• Passionate about retail with a desire to progress through to Buyer and beyond job description

Chain Item Planning

• Develop and maintain item sales and inventory plans
• Recommend changes to assortment, markdowns, markups, and to promote items based on current rate of sales and go forward plans
• Track weekly sales performance and make adjustments to sales, forecast receipts and markdowns as needed
• Review item plans (forecasted sales and inventory) with Buyers and suppliers to ensure product availability

Replenishment / Allocation

• Order and manage inventory investments according to OTB and to ensure the right product arrives in the right location in the right quantity at the right time
• Analyze and determine allocation methods for items (Supplier to DC or Direct to Store), based on range profile, store profile and ranking
• Utilizing the ordering, replenishment and inventory procurement plans, review, maintain and execute vendor orders to ensure proper flow of product from supplier to all stores/DC, within given Open To Buy, Weeks Of Supply, and in stock goals
• Works directly with suppliers sharing orders, information on sales plans, performance metrics, and gathering data on item availability
• Collaborates with Logistics, Sales and Operation Team to address supply chain and system issues

Assortment Planning

• Maintain and partner with Buyers in understanding of store profiles for each category
• Work directly with Buyers to ensure that assortment plans and item eligibility directly coincide with replenishment plans

Financial Analysis, Pricing / OTB Planning

• Responsible for maintaining financials including Open-to-Buy planning based on the inventory procurement plans
• Engage with Buyers to manage current and future OTB status, identify issues and opportunities and develop strategies to optimize OTB planning
• Develop financial plans with Buyers to achieve the departments annual sales and net margin goals

SKU/Product/System Management

• Review outliers, focus on items that doing well as well as those that are less successful to guide buying
• Liaise with Buying team on system maintenance updates and changes, which include - delistings (product and/or suppliers), price changes (sell and cost), product loading, promotions, conditional pricing, product hierarchy, supplier details etc.

Marketing/ Advertising & Promotions

• Partner with the Buyers and Marketing team to review promotions and proofs all advertising before release
• Process catalogues and insert submissions on the system
• Track shipping and local orders on all advertised items and prioritize orders for warehouse and locals
• Track sales on advertised material and report to respective teams
• Manage the marketing ROI template by entering deals, prior and actual projections
• Communicate all promotions related activity to store teams

Leadership/Talent Enhancement & Training

• Continuously update knowledge and skills in both technical and non-technical merchandising competencies to handle new challenges
• Develop and train Orders Clerks

Cross Functional Partnership

• Communication across company departments/cross functional teams
• Manage tasks and responsibilities within cross-functional teams and cultivate networks across divisions and functions to improve business processes; ensure honest, direct and ethics in dealing with others (Shipping, Finance, Marketing, Warehouse, Ops, HR, Store Design, Property etc.)

Desired Experience & Qualification

• 3 - 5 years solid merchandise planning experience in retail
• Relevant completed National Diploma or Degree

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