Job Description
As a Merchandise Planner, you will play a key role in driving commercial performance through effective range planning, demand forecasting, buying, and in-season trading. You will work closely with key stakeholders and cross-functional teams to optimise sales, inventory, sell-through, and markdown performance. Job Responsibilities: - Partner with franchise markets to develop seasonal Open-to-Buy (OTB) plans and align merchandise strategies with financial targets and business objectives. - Forecast demand and order quantities for assigned categories based on sales performance, trends, and market insights. - Support pre-season planning activities, including launch planning, allocation, new-season pricing, range planning, and assortment development. - Curate and optimise product assortments by market and category, ensuring the right products are available at the right time and in the right quantities. - Manage product performance throughout the lifecycle, identifying opportunities for repeats, consolidation, stock optimisation and markdowns. - Build strong relationships with franchise partners and cross-functional teams to drive alignment and business performance. - Understand market and country-specific nuances, customer preferences, and the competitive landscape to identify opportunities and optimise business performance. - Leverage data and technology to improve planning effectiveness, reporting, forecasting accuracy, and decision-making. - Participate in system, automation, analytics, and productivity improvement projects. Requirements: - Degree in Business/ Finance/ Retail Management/ Business Analytics/ Statistic/ Mathematics/ Supply Chain, or a related discipline. - At least 2 years of relevant experience preferred. Candidates without prior experience would be considered. - General knowledge of merchandising, buying processes, retail operations, and product management. - Strong analytical and numerical skills, with a keen eye for detail and the ability to translate data into actionable insights. - Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel; knowledge of Power BI, SQL, SAP, or other data analytics and visualisation tools is an advantage. - Comfortable leveraging AI and automation tools to improve analysis, reporting, forecasting, and productivity. - Strong planning, organisational, and prioritisation skills. - Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across teams and cultures. - Proactive, adaptable, and resilient, with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. - Strong presentation and report-writing skills. - Interest in fashion, retail, and consumer trends, with a keen sense of product and commercial awareness.