Merchandise Planner

Key Responsibilities

• Support the creation and maintenance of merchandise financial plans, including sales, units, margin, and inventory targets by department/category.


• Monitor and track Open to Buy (OTB) throughout the season. Partner with Buyers to manage buys within plan and recommend adjustments as needed.


• Analyze sales, margin and inventory performance to identify trends, opportunities and risks. Provide insights to Buyers and leadership to support data-driven decision making.


• Partner with Buyers to evaluate merchandise performance and develop strategies to optimize assortments, price architecture, and vendor commitments.


• Work closely with the Allocation team to ensure merchandise is planned and positioned appropriately across the store base to maximize sales and productivity.


• Build and maintain dashboards and reports that track key performance indicators and support business reviews.


• Review vendor performance, item productivity and stock performance to recommend opportunities for improvement.


• Identify opportunities to enhance planning processes, tools and systems to drive efficiency and accuracy.


• Collaborate with teams across Merchandising, Allocation, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Stores to align plans and execute strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain or related field required.


• 4 - 5 years of experience in merchandise planning, allocation, buying support or related retail role preferred.


• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and translate insights into action.


• Proficiency in Excel (advanced), PowerPoint and planning/reporting tools. Experience with JDA, Blue Yonder or other retail planning systems preferred.


• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.


• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence and partner across teams.


• Passion for retail, fashion and delivering an exceptional customer experience.