Associate Merchandiser Planner The Associate/Junior Merchandise Planner will be accountable in driving profitable sales and margin for their department, including assisting in the management of sales and inventory activities by maintaining bottoms up open-to-buy plans, assortment plans, monitoring sales & inventory, and providing stock productivity analysis. Moreover, this role will create and analyze forecasts across the channels and report into the Planning Manager.
What You'll Be Doing - Work cross functionally with other departments within the organization in order to optimize buy plan, SKU optimization, as well as time phased category plans. Work closely with Merchant/Product teams.
- Maintain OTB flow for current buying season and an extended 18 month strategic open to buy plan for future product seasons.
- Assist with the in-season inventory activities such as forecasting a roll forward projection and adjusting based on the agreed top-down plan. Support Planning Manager with markdown and closeout process.
- Create and update inventory productivity analysis including stock aging, pareto, velocity, flow optimization, and seasonal mix.
- Prepare for monthly open-to-buy review meetings with Manager and Merchants.
- Review current position against the top-down plan; identify risks and opportunities for optimization.
- Provide analysis on an as needed basis including assortment analysis by distribution grade/cluster; productivity and profitability by category; markdown cadence optimization; stockouts and service levels, etc.
- Responsible for collaborating with the Merchant team to create buy targets by channel. Breaking the future plans to lower classification levels in order to improve forecast accuracy. Time-phasing category plans in order to improve cash flow and deliver products just in time to maximize sales.
- Support in the development of standard weekly and monthly reports and evaluating performance versus agreed upon KPIs.
What You'll Bring With You - Experience in retail merchandise planning, buying, demand and supply planning, footwear a plus.
- Knowledge of different business operating models - Retail, Franchise, Outlet, Ecommerce, Wholesale.
- Understanding of budgets, forecasts, sales, margin, margin % as it relates to Retail Merchandise Planning.
- Understanding of merchandise metrics and Supply Chain logistics.
- Experience in key distribution channels - wholesale, retail, and digital.
- Comprehensive understanding of overall business operations.
- Ability to analyze trends and use that information to effectively plan and forecast.
- Strong analytical and verbal skills.
- Decision making skills.
- Organizational skills to coordinate feedback from a variety of sources.
- Practical understanding of financial, range, space and demand planning processes.
- Practical understanding of trading and marketing planning processes.
- Strong computer skills including the following tools.
- Data warehouse/data mart query and report development tools.
- Advance Microsoft Excel.
- Planning Software (MID, Arthur, Enterprise Planning, NSB/STS/MMS, I2, Retek, Evant, etc.
About Clarks Clarks, based in Somerset, England, has been at the forefront of innovative shoemaking since its foundation in 1825, when brother James and Cyrus Clark made a slipper from sheepskin off-cuts. At the time it was ground-breaking: a combination of invention and craftsmanship that has remained at the heart of what the brand does now. In the Clarks archive of more than 22,000 pairs that have sparked revolutions and defined generations. From the original Clarks Desert Boot, first designed by Nathan Clark and Launched in 1950, to the iconic Wallabee, each design has an instantly recognizable signature that makes it unmistakably Clarks.
This season, we're proud to introduce the Clarks Collective: five incredible activists championing authentic social change. From mental health awareness and LGBTQ+ rights to greater racial equality, these trailblazers are committed to creating a brighter future for us all-bringing to life Clarks' new global campaign, for the World Ahead. Through spotlighting their stories and supporting their chosen charities and initiatives, we're ready to lead the way. After all, we're the originators, not imitators. It's who we are, who we've always been. And to change the world of tomorrow, we're doing things differently today.
As a global employer, Clarks is committed to embracing diversity throughout our workforce by creating an inclusive environment that reflects the many cultures and locations where we work. We strive to create a productive environment which everyone has an equal chance to succeed at all levels through the organization. We will not discriminate on the basis of sex, age, disability, marital status, color, race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or gender re-assignment', complying with local legislative requirements.
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