Job description
The Senior Merchandise Planner is responsible for analyzing sales trends, identifying sales opportunities and communicating risk-mitigating recommendations across three Company Owned channels (ecom and retail.) This role will create and manage sales financial plans at a category and SKU level that focus on maximizing profitability while aligning with company goals, sales channel trends and customer expectations. The Senior Merchandise Planner must be a strong collaborator and will work closely with key internal stakeholders which include Owned channel merchants, Demand & Supply Planning, U.S. Marketing, Boutique field teams, and Fulfillment.
Senior Merchandise Planner Responsibilities
Sales Planning/Forecasting
• Prepare and align on channel category plan that includes core, NPD, set, and holiday business by applying detailed knowledge of business and customer, brand strategy and category/SKU analytics.
• Create all merchandise plans including Retail and Gross Sales Plans.
• Partner with merchants on monthly forecasts inclusive of key commercial insights (door/space change, promotional programs, assortment edits) to support demand and supply planning reviews.
• Evaluate NPD benchmarks against marketing strategies and provide NPD forecasts that align with channel sales trend to supply chain as part of monthly Open-to-buy process.
• Develop daily/weekly/monthly sales plans in partnership with merchant team that includes analysis of historical data to forecast trends.
Analytics/Reporting
• Provide weekly reporting and analysis at the category/sub-category inclusive of new launches and promotions to inform business results, reforecast projections, capture sales opportunities, identify risks, and align on inventory strategies.
• Analyze weekly/monthly performance including sales, margin, inventory turns against plan and forecast.
• Partner with merchant and allocation manager to ensure assortment, including width and depth of product supports merchandise plans.
• Weekly review of Service Levels and evaluate any lost sales or SKUs with low WOS; address any issues and elevate if needed.
• Create bottoms up retail sales plan by category/sub-category to inform quarterly sales forecasting process.
• Participate in consensus planning with demand planning to improve demand plan accuracy; collaborate to drive to "one number" sales plan.
Ecommerce Warehouse Inventory Oversight
• Review monthly replenishment order generated by Supply Chain planner and make any necessary changes.
• Ensure there is sufficient inventory at warehouse to support upcoming promotions.
• Track inventory availability at corporate warehouse and transfer inventory to ecommerce warehouse once available.
• Review performance of NPD and work with Supply Chain and Allocation to transfer additional inventory if needed.
• Review inventory and work to maintain appropriate inventory balance across multiple warehouse locations.
• Troubleshoot issues with warehouse, Supply Chain and Customer Service.
Senior Merchandise Planner Qualifications:
• Minimum 5-7 years’ experience in merchandise inventory planning.
• Bachelor‘s Degree or equivalent experience
• Strong planning and analytical acumen; ability to advocate for and develop planning best practices.
• Proficient in Excel.
• Excellent understanding of retail math and knowledge of inventory models and KPIs (turn, WOS) and retail supply chain.
• Familiarity with forecasting and replenishment planning tools and systems.
• Multi-Channel or Direct-to-consumer channel experience preferred.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment, and as an individual contributor.
• Strong communication and project management skills are required