Merchandise Planner

Vmart; India; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Vmart is seeking a Merchandise Planning professional to build monthly and seasonal sales, inventory, and receipt plans, and to monitor stock health and aging to optimize margins.

You will coordinate with Buying, Supply Chain, Warehouse and Retail Operations to ensure accurate master data, regular reporting, and timely implementation of markdown and inventory actions.

MBA/PGDM qualified candidates with strong analytics and trend analysis skills are preferred.

Qualifications

• Experience in merchandise planning and inventory management.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision making.
• Ability to coordinate across Buying, Supply Chain, Warehouse and Retail Operations.

Responsibilities

• Build monthly and seasonal sales, margin, inventory and receipt plans for assigned categories within the framework set by the Planning Manager.
• Prepare bottom-up option plans, price ladders and depth-by-option working for range reviews.
• Support the OTB process — track consumption, flag variances, and prepare the re-forecast working for review.
• Maintain planning calendars, launch plans and phasing for the assigned portfolio.
• Build store-cluster and grade-wise assortment plans based on store size, catchment and past performance.
• Work out size ratios, colour depth and MBQ / minimum display quantities.
• Maintain and refresh store grading and clustering inputs.
• Support the Buying team with data inputs for range selection and vendor negotiation.
• Monitor availability, size-set integrity and broken sets; initiate corrective action.
• Run the weekly trading pack (WSSI) for assigned categories — sales, sell-through, cover, receipts vs. plan.
• Track daily and weekly performance; highlight risks and opportunities early with a recommended action.
• Prepare category review decks and business analysis for the Planning Manager and leadership.
• Maintain and improve standard reports; automate where possible.
• Prepare markdown proposals with expected sell-through and margin impact.
• Track ageing and non-moving inventory; propose liquidation and exit actions.
• Monitor DOI and inventory cover at category and store level against targets.
• Work daily with Buying, Supply Chain, Warehouse and Retail Operations to keep stock flowing.
• Support and check the work of junior planners / analysts where assigned.
• Ensure master data, article hierarchy and system parameters for the category are accurate.

Education

MBA/PGDBM/PGDM

Job description

Merchandise Planning Inventory Management Trend Analysis Business Analytics

MBA/PGDBM/PGDM

Job Description

1. Category Planning

• Build monthly and seasonal sales, margin, inventory and receipt plans for assigned categories, within the framework set by the Planning Manager.
• Prepare bottom-up option plans, price ladders and depth-by-option working for range reviews.
• Support the OTB process — track consumption, flag variances, and prepare the re-forecast working for review.
• Maintain planning calendars, launch plans and phasing for the assigned portfolio.

2. Assortment & Store Clustering

• Build store-cluster and grade-wise assortment plans based on store size, catchment and past performance.
• Work out size ratios, colour depth and MBQ / minimum display quantities.
• Maintain and refresh store grading and clustering inputs.
• Support the Buying team with data inputs for range selection and vendor negotiation.
• Monitor availability, size-set integrity and broken sets; initiate corrective action.

4. Trading & Reporting

• Run the weekly trading pack (WSSI) for assigned categories — sales, sell-through, cover, receipts vs. plan.
• Track daily and weekly performance; highlight risks and opportunities early with a recommended action.
• Prepare category review decks and business analysis for the Planning Manager and leadership.
• Maintain and improve standard reports; automate where possible.

5. Markdown & Inventory Health

• Prepare markdown proposals with expected sell-through and margin impact.
• Track ageing and non-moving inventory; propose liquidation and exit actions.
• Monitor DOI and inventory cover at category and store level against targets.

6. Coordination

• Work daily with Buying, Supply Chain, Warehouse and Retail Operations to keep stock flowing.
• Support and check the work of junior planners / analysts where assigned.
• Ensure master data, article hierarchy and system parameters for the category are accurate.