Junior Merchandise Planner

Pets at Home; Cheadle; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working (Handforth Office)

Job summary

Pets at Home is seeking an experienced Assistant Merchandiser or Senior Assistant Merchandiser to join the Accessories team in a newly created role. This position offers ownership of a product area and exposure to planning, trading, stock management and category performance.

Working closely with Merchandisers, Buyers and stakeholders, you will forecast, analyze performance, manage inventory, and support key trading decisions. Hybrid working is available with 3 days per week in Handforth Office.

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandising, planning, allocation, retail or analytical roles.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills with proficiency in Excel.
• Ability to turn insights into actions that improve category performance.

Responsibilities

• Support the Merchandiser with management of the WSSI, sales, stock, intake and margin reporting.

Skills

Merchandising

Planning

Allocation

Retail

Analytical

Tools

Planning systems

Job description

Full-time

Ref: 40419

Hours: Full-time

Contracted Hours: 39

Contract Type: Permanent

Location:

Chester House, Epsom Ave, Handforth, Cheadle, Greater Manchester, SK9 3RN

Description

Hybrid:

We welcome applications from those looking for hybrid working, based 3 days per week in our Handforth Office.

About The Role

We're looking for an experienced Assistant Merchandiser or Senior Assistant Merchandiser to join our Accessories team in a newly created role. This is a great opportunity to take ownership of your own product area while building broader experience across planning, trading, stock management and category performance.

Working closely with Merchandisers, Buyers and key stakeholders across the business, you'll play an important role in driving sales and profitability by ensuring the right stock is available at the right time. You'll be involved in forecasting, analysing performance, managing inventory, preparing recommendations for sign-off, and supporting key trading decisions.

This role offers fantastic exposure to the commercial side of merchandising, with opportunities to deputise for Merchandisers and influence category performance. We're particularly interested in candidates from fashion or homewares backgrounds, although we're open to hearing from talented merchandise professionals from other sectors who are looking for their next challenge.

Key Responsibilities – What You’ll Be Doing

• Support the Merchandiser with the management of the WSSI, assisting with sales, stock, intake, and margin reporting to ensure plans remain on track.
• Analyse weekly trading performance, identifying risks and opportunities and providing recommendations to support decision‑making.
• Work closely with Buyers and Merchandisers to support range planning, with option frameworks and volume forecasts and ensure stock levels are aligned to business needs.
• Prepare reports and analysis to support range reviews, forecasting, and trading meetings.
• Monitor critical path timelines and raise any risks that could impact product launches or stock availability.
• Assist in the planning and execution of promotions and new range launches, ensuring stock is available to maximise sales opportunities.
• Support the management of category sales and stock performance through regular analysis and reporting.
• Help optimise stock levels to improve availability, reduce markdown exposure, and maximise profitability.
• Assist with markdown and exit strategies to manage terminal stock effectively.
• Build strong working relationships with Buying, Supply Chain, Ecommerce, and other key stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate planning systems, reports, and data to support effective decision‑making.

About You – What You’ll Bring To The Role

You'll already have experience in a merchandising, planning, allocation, retail or analytical role and be ready to take the next step in your career. Comfortable working with data, you'll have strong numerical and analytical skills, be confident using Excel, and enjoy turning insights into actions that drive category performance.

Highly organised and detail‑oriented, you're able to manage multiple priorities, work to deadlines, and maintain accuracy in a fast‑paced environment. You'll also be a strong communicator who enjoys building relationships across teams and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders.

Most importantly, you'll bring a positive, proactive attitude and an appetite to learn. We're looking for someone who is open to change, enjoys getting involved in projects, and is excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of a growing category.

Joining our friendly team of six, you'll become part of a supportive and collaborative environment during a period of significant investment and transformation. With exciting projects underway, strong leadership support, and a real focus on evolving how we work, there's never been a better time to join the Accessories team and develop your merchandising career. The product range is diverse, the pace is fast, and the opportunities to learn and grow are genuine.

We take our inspiration from pets in embracing people from all walks of life, and we value, respect and celebrate difference. We encourage our people to be their best selves so that we can create a better world for Pets, our Planet, and People. Our ambition is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and we are intentional in addressing and removing barriers to create opportunities for the exceptional talent and potential in our communities.

Even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours, we want to hear from you.

Organisation: Pets at Home

Date Posted: 20-08-2026

Expiry Date: 04-09-2026