The role of Assistant Manager – Merchandise & Retail Planning is to support the comprehensive planning, execution, and optimization of merchandise strategies. This role is crucial for driving sales, enhancing inventory efficiency, and improving in-store presentation across all retail locations. The primary focus areas include assortment planning, rigorous inventory management, sales performance monitoring, coordinating visual merchandising efforts, and maintaining effective vendor liaison to ensure optimal store performance.
Key Responsibilities
Merchandise & Assortment Planning
- Support assortment planning in alignment with the overall brand strategy, current seasonal trends, and anticipated customer demand.
- Assist in buying support activities, including product selection, detailed range planning, and accurate quantity forecasting.
- Ensure a balanced and strategic product mix across all categories, price points, and various store formats.
Inventory Planning & Stock Allocation
- Plan and continuously monitor inventory levels to achieve optimal stock availability and targeted turnover rates.
- Execute store-wise stock allocation and timely replenishment strategies based on analyzed sales performance and emerging demand trends.
- Proactively minimize stock-outs and prevent overstock situations through careful planning and oversight.
Sales Monitoring & Reporting
- Prepare and rigorously analyze daily sales reports and performance dashboards.
- Track critical retail KPIs such as sell-through rates, stock cover, aging inventory metrics, and the effectiveness of markdown strategies.
- Deliver actionable insights and precise recommendations aimed at improving overall sales volumes and margin profitability.
Visual Merchandising Coordination
- Coordinate effectively with visual merchandising teams to ensure consistent, high-quality, and impactful in-store product presentation.
- Support the implementation of Visual Merchandising (VM) guidelines to enhance the customer experience and significantly drive conversion rates.
- Monitor store-level VM execution and recommend specific improvements where necessary.
Vendor Coordination & Buying Support
- Liaise closely with vendors regarding order placement, confirming delivery schedules, and ensuring timely replenishments.
- Track purchase orders and follow up on deliveries diligently to guarantee the on-time availability of all required merchandise.
- Support negotiation processes and ongoing vendor performance evaluations.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with the sales, retail operations, warehouse, and finance teams to ensure complete alignment of merchandise plans with broader organizational goals.
- Support detailed promotional planning and markdown strategies in coordination with relevant internal stakeholders.
Qualifications & Experience
- Education: Bachelors or Masters degree in Fashion, Retail Management, Merchandising, or a related field.
- Experience: Minimum 5+ years of experience in merchandise planning, retail planning, or buying support.
- Skills: Strong understanding of essential retail Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including sell-through, stock turn, Gross Margin Return on Inventory (GMROI), and inventory aging.
- Systems: Experience working with ERP or retail planning systems is considered an added advantage.
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