Junior Merchandise Planner

Assists in the development of procedures and maintenance of systems to support the execution of pre-season merchandise plans, departmental open to buys and analysis against all merchandise plan components throughout a fiscal year. Partners with merchandising team in planning and developing pre-season strategy for seasonal merchandise financial and assortment plans to include sales volume, inventory turn, gross margins, receipts, markdowns and markups. Assists the Sr. Merchandise Planner.

 

Assists in the development and ensures accuracy of seasonal merchandise financial plans down to the store level in the SAS planning system based on agreed goals with the Sr. Merchandise Planner, Buyer, Divisional Merchandise Manager and General Merchandise Manager (GMM). Assists the merchandising team in the development of and maintenance of a weekly and monthly Open-to-Buy process and provides direction to the merchandising team on resolving issues. Develops and executes reporting that provides senior management with snapshots of actual performance by all plan components on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Is responsible for analyzing trends and forecasting future business appropriately.

 

Works with Replenishment Analysts and Planogram Specialists to ensure accuracy and appropriate execution of replenishment and planograms in accordance with financial goals. Works with the Retail Management System reporting staff to enhance and improve weekly/monthly reports to improve management of the business. Works with the merchandising staff to initiate in-season financial plan revisions in response to positive or negative trends in business; and to develop and review stock assortment and assortment plans/MSAs to compare against historical performance and future trends. Assists with the markdown process to include prior month forecasting, in-month management and future season forecasts by department and at the total level. Provides output document, buy plan, to assist merchandising staff with purchases.

 

Works with the Merchandising staff to appropriately address issues affecting profitability throughout the season to include: markdowns, shrink, initial markups, etc. Reviews initial product category setup of automatic replenishment, as well as periodic maintenance reviews and call to attention any significant variances that would risk plan achievement. Works with Business Operations and the Merchandising staff to ensure the new store/remodel process is planned with appropriate assortments on the front-end.

Exercises analytical ability and judgment, and applies knowledge of management practices, methods and techniques to planning processes for accuracy and business excellence. Compiles and organizes data from various sources to develop and prepare graphs, charts and reports for presentation, and evaluate needs, conduct records research, review reports and directives. May review reports to help identify administrative, programmatic and operational issues or problematic procedural processes. May perform tasks and reviews of various internal functions and systems to determine maximum efficiency and compliance with established MCCS policies and regulations. 

 

May conduct studies of problem areas to determine and define problems, recommend corrective actions, share findings and coordinate resolution. Analyzes programs to apply techniques for collecting, sorting, displaying and tracking varied information, both quantitative and qualitative.   May prepare correspondence, briefs, routing sheets, point papers, and slide presentations and training sessions.

 

 

 

Performs other related duties as assigned. This is a white-collar position where occasional lifting up to 20 lbs may be required.