Solomon Page Fashion & Beauty Looking for MERCHANDISE PLANNER at New York, New York Full Time

Our client, a specialty retailer, is seeking a Merchandise Planner to develop, communicate, and execute strategic merchandise financial plans and style assortment plans.  This role partners with Merchants to drive and maximize sales and margin.  The role is hybrid WFH/in-office, and client is offering relocation to the Boston, MA area.

Responsibilities:

• Support development, in partnership with their Merchant, the six-month Seasonal Merchandise Plans for their respective areas of responsibility and with respect to the company’s goals and targets; review plans to Senior Management.
• Partner with Merchant on managing the Monthly Business Review (MBR) process through the development of sales, margin, receipt and inventory forecasts, supporting these forecasts with unit projections, and reporting unit performance and forecasts and receipt issues during the MBR meetings.
• Present forecasts at monthly business review meetings (MBR) and provide analysis to support recommendations.
• Manage the receipts and inventory against targeted weeks of supply objectives and partner with merchandising to recommend actions that drive sales and maximize gross margin by ensuring best receipt flow.
• Partner with Merchant to develop the ideal assortment to maximize sales and margin for each buy period, ensuring the appropriate costs, retails, and number of customer choices to achieve each period’s targets.
• Evaluate and determine demand targets for assortment plan development.
• Determine unit quantities to buy and to reorder (to the color and size levels), which will effectively maximize the ability of the Direct channels to maximize sales and margin for each buy period.
• Develop and manage markdown, promotional, and exit strategies for seasonal programs to effectively mitigate aged inventory.
• Maintain open and continual communication with Merchandising, Sourcing, and Marketing teams.
• Develop unit demand and inventory plans for major programs and key items to ensure adequate inventory coverage to meet fulfillment needs.
• Effectively monitor sales and inventory levels to project future stock needs or to recommend liquidation strategies.
• Through direction of the Planning Manager, partner cross-channel to ensure optimal, balanced inventories to best serve customer needs.
• Monitor demand needs by style/color and maintain CNS codes to effectively manage back orders.
• Analyze and recommend size curves for buy quantities.
• Adhere to the Corporate Calendar in preparation and ownership of meetings, due dates, delivery dates.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3+ years of specialty retail experience, preferably in Specialty Apparel Planning and Allocation
• Additional demand planning and forecasting, and merchandising experience a plus
• Strong analytical and financial skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Adept with planning software and Excel
• Must be open to relocate to the Boston, MA area