Merchandise Planner

The Merchandise Planner works in close partnership with the management team and the buying team to set seasonal divisional merchandise sales, margin, and inventory parameters and manage the business to achieve sales, turn, and return-on-investment goals. This position synthesizes her/his knowledge of David’s Bridal business and open to buy metrics to make pre-, in, and post-season sales plan and inventory management recommendations/decisions.  The Merchandise Planner manages the seasonal open to buy, advises the buying team on inventory levels, and controls merchandise flow. 

 

• Responsible for managing monthly open to buy, advise demand planner and buying team on inventory metrics, sales, margin, inventory and promotional changes.
• Make pre-season inventory management recommendations including assortment gaps, liquidations candidates, mix of novelty/fashion, and benchmarks for productivity.
• Make in-season recommendations/decisions on business approaches, including pricing, sales driving promotions, and inventory flow remediation.
• Analyze and provide recommendations on cost benefits of assortment expansions, changes, in pricing or promotional strategies, special programs, vendor diversification, and company-wide expansion of inventory.
• Define inventory, in partnership with buying team, that will achieve sales plan.  Analyze and make recommendations on return on investment of styles/SKUs.  Optimize markdowns and liquidations on underperforming merchandise.  Provide analytical support on new and discontinued product sales variances from replenishment output in season.   Act as liaison between buying team and demand planning team.  Make decision to stop production or orders of under-performing styles/SKUs.
• Provide strong point of view in sales projection reviews with cross functional teams.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree or 1-2 years of related experience.

• 3 or more years in merchandise/demand planning.

• Strong analytical skills.
• Relationship Building.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.

• Minimal Travel Required 1 – 2 times per year.