Associate - Merchandise Planner

Merchandise Planning:

• Create & maintain demand forecast, OTB (Open to Buy) and inventory plans (MSSI) by collaborating with Buying, Finance, Retail, and Ecommerce teams.

• Utilize sales data, market conditions, and supplier inputs to help inform merchandise strategies and support profitable decision-making.

• Develop stock and supply plans at the brand level, broken down by channel and brand, based on sales and buying budgets.

• Oversee store allocation and replenishment parameters (excecution performed by allocators for fashion).

• Prepare and input data for internal Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) processes, ensuring alignment across demand, supply, and financial objectives.

Demand Forecasting:

• Seasonal/Novelties: Challenge Buyers/Commercial demand forecasts on new products using historical data and sales performance of comparable items.

• Permanent/Baseline Product: Input rolling demand forecasts, incorporating historical data, promotions, sell-out forecasts from key accounts, and network evolution.

Operational Planning

• Build capacity plans that account for supply chain, logistics, and vendor constraints.

• Fashion: Manage markdown and liquidation plans to optimize inventory turnover and reduce obsolescence while protecting the margin.

• Collaborate with vendors to maintain healthy relationships and ensure alignment on supply requirements.

• Identify and address ageing stock, excecuting liquidation strategies to improve inventory health.

• Validate order requests and synchronize with the Order Management team to ensure timely and accurate execution.

Performance Monitoring and Insights

• Monitor key planning KPIs, such as Full Price Sell-Through, stock levels, ISA (Inventory Service Availability), DOI (Days of Inventory), OTIF (On-Time In-Full), and fill rates.

• Conduct post-mortem analyses of previous seasons to identify insights and best practices to inform future planning cycles.

Team Leadership and Development

• Manage Merchandise Planners and Allocators (for fashion), ensuring team alignment with organizational objectives.

• Mentor and develop team members, fostering a culture of collaboration and best practices in planning.

What you'll need to succeed

• 2-3 years of experience in merchandise and supply planning, preferably in retail, fashion, or related industries.

• Hands-on expertise with planning tools, such as Blue Yonder, SAP, or similar advanced systems.

• Proven ability to manage seasonal and permanent product planning cycles effectively.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail to ensure data accuracy and actionable insights.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills to work with cross-functional teams, including Buying and Order Management.

• Knowledge of inventory management principles, OTB calculations, and markdown planning.

What we can offer you

With us,you will turn your aspirations into reality. We will help shape your journey through enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities and exposure to different assignments within your role or through internal mobility. Our Group offers diverse career paths for those who are extraordinary, every day.

We recognise the value that you bring, and we strive to provide a competitive benefits package which includes health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies as well as exclusive employeediscounts.

Using GenAI in Your Application Process

To support a fair and consistent experience for all candidates, we ask that assessments and interviews are completed independently and without assistance from generative AI tools. This ensures we understand your strengths, your thinking, and how you approach real situations.

We Invite All Applicants to Apply

It Takes Diversity Of Thought, Culture, Background, Differing Abilities and Perspectives to truly Inspire, Exhilarate and Delight our customers. At Chalhoub Group, we are committed to inclusion and diversity.

We welcome all applicants to apply and be part of our exciting future. We ensure equal opportunity for all our applicants without regard to gender, age, race, religion, national origin or disability status.