purpose
Lead and enable Planning team to maximize sales and gross profit for department by providing strategic guidance across the team to create the financial plan and execute the seasonal strategy through collaboration with buying and location planning to deliver an assortment based on history, current trade and future trends whilst effectively managing the inventory.
key responsibilities
- Merchandise Strategy and Process Management
- Oversee and measure the implementation of the divisional merchandise strategy aligned with overall business strategy within department.
- Ensure merchandise strategy is clearly communicated and understood by the team and collaborate with Location Planning, Sourcing, Operations, VM,
Marketing, Ecomm & DC. - Lead planning team through merchandise process (post mortem, seasonal strategy, assortment planning and stock management) and provide strategic guidance to achieve the Company’s strategic objectives and KPIs.
- Monitor deadlines to ensure critical path milestones are met.
Planning Direction
- Create a high level view of assortment across departments and verify that all KPI’s, width & depth, PMO & sales targets are aligned.
- Provide guidance and direction to planning team relating to a balanced product assortment plan for department (considering sub cats, planned promotions, volume opportunities, store profiles, optimums, price-point plan, replenishment, test money, lead times, sourcing, suppliers, etc.) in line with seasonal strategies in order to meet review plan targets.
- Verify that all KPI’s, width & depth, PMO & sales targets are aligned and consistently flowed through the season & across store profile.
Forecasting Stock and Stock Management
- Lead, enable and monitor the placing of orders within specific timelines and with strategic suppliers in order to meet demand as predetermined in the strategy and review process.
- Develop an accurate sales forecast (One Liner), in order to determine optimal stock levels for the purpose of maximising revenue and gross profit for department.
- Manage and update forecasting and replenishment tool.
- Review and adapt PIS (Put into stock) based on external factors (supplier issues, DC issues etc.).
Adjust forward order book and address poor performing stock, in reaction to current trade and customer demand, through considering promotional mark downs, promotions or product presentation strategies. - Track and manage the ageing of stock to ensure the ratio of stock is in line with strategy and KPIs.
Current Trade:
- Lead and enable the continuous analysis of the current season’s trade to ensure that it is executed according to plan in order to achieve strategic targets and budget.
- Monitor and communicate a top line view of department performance for related period for all KPI’s, which may include monthly board pack submission. 3. Provide guidance to teams and ensure appropriate trade decisions are made and actions taken to optimise opportunities in trade, minimise risk and manage stock levels. (including stock and order book management, actioning markdowns, promotional activity, supplier negotiations for cancellations and discounts, DC).
- Ensure collaboration takes place with Location Planning to identify missed store opportunities and actions are agreed and taken to correct.
- Communicate any changes from current trade to senior management and any other impacted departments and ensure current trade reports are completed.
- Conduct and oversee store and competitor visits to analyse and compare current trade and product assortments.
Team Leadership:
- Lead and enable team in developing, building and executing a cohesive, well balanced product
- planning strategy and reacting to current trade.
- Facilitate role clarity within the team and ensure clear accountability including effective delegation with appropriate support and oversight.
- Ensure workload is effectively distributed, create opportunities for two-way communication and address any team dynamic or engagement concerns.
- Create a team culture that is disciplined in its thinking; responsive to trade; collaborative across all areas of the business and passionate about retail in keeping with our company values.
- Identify and address training needs, provide effective feedback, coaching & development to create a high performance team and build succession.
- Assist in the development of coaching or training interventions (i.e.: power hours, dry runs, etc)
Key Projects:
- Participate in and implement continuous improvement projects within the planning function and the value-chain aimed to optimize business processes and achieve the execution of the business’ strategic imperatives.
Requirements
Education:
- Degree or Diploma
Experience:
- 7 years’ experience in planning
- 3 years in people management role
Knowledge/ Skills:
- Numeracy and analytical skills
- Computer literacy and experience with retail systems
- Business Strategy
- Retail market & industry knowledge
- Expertise in merchandise and location planning
- Communication & presentation skills
- Detail oriented
- Leadership and people
management skills.