Assistant Merchandise Planner

Card Factory; Wakefield; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading greeting card retailer as an Assistant Merchandise Planner. This fixed-term role focuses on optimizing product ranges, sales forecasts, and stock management while offering the flexibility of smart working principles. You'll contribute to achieving key performance targets in a dynamic team.

Benefits

25% discount in-store and online

Bonus opportunity

Financial Wellbeing Support

Access to learning and development content

Discounts across 100’s of UK retailers

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG or fashion environment preferred.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills.
• Proficiency in SAP and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Review daily and weekly trading performance.
• Manage SKU-level sales forecasts.
• Collaborate with suppliers on demand plans.

Skills

Analytical skills

Numerical skills

Organizational skills

Education

Experience as Assistant Merchandiser or similar

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Are you passionate about product trends and data-driven decision making? We’re looking for an Assistant Merchandise Planner to join our dynamic team at cardfactory. In this role, you'll support the delivery of customer-focused product ranges and priority projects helping us achieve key sales, profit, and stock targets. This role is available on a fixed term contract basis until 31st Jan 2026.

We operate smart working principles at cardfactory, combining some days working from our support centre in Wakefield (1-2 a week) with some days working remotely from home.

Role Responsibility

• Reviewing daily and weekly trading performance to identify issues and opportunities, providing insights to senior management.
• Managing SKU-level sales forecasts and own the Line Card to ensure stock accuracy.
• Raising and managing purchase orders to meet stock cover and availability targets.
• Collaborating with suppliers to create demand plans and share monthly intake forecasts.
• Working closely with the team to align stock intake with the WSSI Open to Buy plan, optimizing stockholding, margin, and availability.
• Ensuring store availability is maximized and new product ranges launch on time.
• Supporting the Merchandise Planner in range building and performance analysis.
• Participating in product range building as part of your development.

The Ideal Candidate

• Experience as an Assistant Merchandiser, Merchandising Admin, or Allocator in a FMCG or fashion environment is preferred.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills.
• Proficiency in SAP and Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of stock management processes with a keen eye for detail.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks.

About the Company

Card Factory is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of greeting cards, dressings, and gifts with over one thousand stores across the UK and Ireland. In 2020 we launched our exciting 5-year business strategy including our vision of becoming a true Omni-channel retailer. This strategy sees significant investment into our colleagues across the business creating multiple opportunities to join a fast-paced environment and be part of our exciting journey.

In return, we offer a wide range of benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial well-being.

• 25% Card Factory colleague discount in-store and online
• Bonus opportunity
• Financial Wellbeing Support
  • Financial Education Tools
  • Salary Advance
• Access to blended learning and development content
• Discounts across 100’s of UK retailers
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to tools to support mental, physical, and financial wellbeing

This is an exciting role with genuine prospects for the right candidate. If this role describes you and your career aspirations, click apply now.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once sufficient suitable applications have been received. We advise applying early to avoid disappointment as applications will be reviewed regularly.

Location Century House Brunel Road Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate, United Kingdom