Ralph Lauren Merchandise Assistant Planner

Ralph Lauren; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A global fashion brand based in Greater London seeks a professional to manage stock delivery schedules and perform weekly and monthly reporting. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently. Ideal candidates should demonstrate effective communication and possess proficiency in Microsoft Excel, with a solid understanding of retail mathematics. The successful applicant will also collaborate with multiple teams, making informed commercial decisions through competitor analysis.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills with a focus on data-driven decision making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel for data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Manage weekly and monthly reporting and update stock delivery schedules.
• Attend trade meetings and formulate trade messages independently.
• Conduct store visits and competitor analysis to inform decisions.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Analytical skills

Effective communication

Microsoft Excel proficiency

Retail mathematics aptitude

Problem-solving skills

Attention to detail

Time management

Job description

Company Description

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview

The position involves managing weekly and monthly reporting, maintaining WSSI updates, and supporting key seasonal meetings with analysis. Core responsibilities include managing stock delivery schedules, seasonal markdowns, and line card optimisation across channels. The role requires strong commercial awareness through store visits and competitor analysis, while building effective partnerships with cross‑functional teams including Buying, Allocations, ECOM, and retail store teams. The ideal candidate should possess strong analytical and communication skills, be proficient in Microsoft Excel, and demonstrate ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities. They should also have strong retail mathematics aptitude and maintain resilience during challenging periods.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Operation/Financial Update reports on a weekly, monthly, and ad hoc basis.
• Actualises the departments WSSI weekly.
• Attends and prepares for weekly trade meetings and able to formulate and deliver a trade message independently.
• Provides accurate data to support analysis for key seasonal meetings including hindsight and sign‑offs.
• Updates and forecasts department line cards to maximise sales potential and optimise stock availability across channels.
• Systematically updates seasonal recodes.
• Owns department stock delivery schedule and communicates updates to team.
• Responsible for actioning seasonal markdowns & communication to stores.
• Commercial Awareness: Participate in regular store visits, collating store reports prior and assisting in creating follow‑up presentations.
• Undertake competitor analysis on a regular basis and present any relevant points.
• Training & development: Adopt a positive and proactive approach to own training and development as well as that of peers.
• Proactively promote improvements to working practices and systems.
• Participate in company initiatives as appropriate.
• Communications & Partnerships: Create and maintain strong working relationships within cross‑functional teams: Buying, Allocations, ECOM and the retail store teams.
• Liaise with Assortment Planning and Buying partners to review and assist in the formation of the seasonal lessons learnt.
• Influence future buys using analysis and historical data to ensure commercial decisions are made.

Experience, Skills & Knowledge

• Commercial and analytical.
• Effective communicator – able to communicate messages clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences.
• Able to work autonomously.
• Able to demonstrate logical analysis and problem‑solving skills.
• Able to organize, prioritise tasks and manage time well to meet deadlines.
• Able to build and maintain productive relationships within a team environment.
• Competent in using Microsoft Excel.
• Attention to detail.
• Show ability or aptitude in retail mathematics and learn technical applications quickly.
• Able to demonstrate resilience and remain positive during challenging periods.
• Desire to have fun at work and an appreciation for product.