Retail Planning Manager

First Step Babywear; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Miniklub Retail Private Limited in Bengaluru is seeking a seasoned Retail Planner EBO to lead merchandise and inventory planning for Exclusive Brand Outlets across PAN India. You will forecast sales, budget merchandise, and manage stock allocation to optimise store performance.

The ideal candidate has 10–15 years in retail planning, strong analytics, and proficiency in Excel; Power BI and ERP exposure is advantageous. This role requires strategic thinking and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Graduate/Postgraduate in Retail Management, Business Administration, or Supply Chain.
• 10–15 years of experience in retail planning or inventory management.
• Experience across a multi-store retail network, preferably EBOs.
• Strong skills in sales forecasting, assortment planning, stock allocation, and replenishment.
• Advanced Excel; Power BI and ERP exposure a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute merchandise and inventory plans for EBOs PAN India.
• Prepare sales forecasts, budgets, and inventory plans.
• Monitor inventory turnover, stock cover, ageing, sell-through.
• Drive assortment planning, size curves, option planning, and product depth.
• Develop allocation and replenishment strategies across stores and categories.
• Analyse store-level performance and inventory productivity.
• Establish robust MIS dashboards for sales, stock, and forecast accuracy.
• Collaborate with Buying, Merchandising, Retail Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Sales forecasting

Inventory management

Assortment planning

Stock allocation

Excel / Power BI

Education

Retail Management / Business Administration / Supply Chain Management degree

Tools

Power BI

ERP systems

MS Excel

Job description

Job Description: Retail Planner EBO

Company: Miniklub Retail Private Limited
Department: Retail Planning
Experience: 10 - 15 Years
Location: Bengaluru
Business Coverage: PAN India Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs)

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced and strategic Retail Planner EBO to lead retail planning activities across MiniKlubs Exclusive Brand Outlets PAN India. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in merchandise planning, sales forecasting, inventory management, assortment planning, and stock allocation, with a proven ability to drive sales growth, optimise inventory, and improve overall retail productivity.

Key Responsibilities

• Retail & Merchandise Planning: Develop and execute comprehensive merchandise and inventory plans for EBOs across PAN India, aligned with business objectives and growth targets.
• Sales Forecasting & Budgeting: Prepare sales forecasts, merchandise budgets, and inventory plans based on historical performance, seasonality, market trends, and store potential.
• Inventory Optimisation: Monitor inventory turnover, stock cover, ageing, sell-through, and stock availability to maximise inventory productivity and minimise excess stock.
• Assortment & Range Planning: Drive assortment planning, size curves, option planning, and product depth based on store clusters, regional demand, and customer preferences.
• Stock Allocation & Replenishment: Develop effective allocation and replenishment strategies to ensure optimum stock availability across stores and product categories.
• Store Performance Analysis: Analyse store-level sales, category performance, and inventory productivity to identify opportunities and implement corrective actions.
• Markdown & Clearance Planning: Develop markdown and liquidation strategies to improve sell-through, reduce aged inventory, and minimise margin erosion.
• New Store Planning: Plan merchandise budgets, assortment, and initial stock requirements for new store openings and business expansion.
• MIS & Business Reviews: Establish robust reporting mechanisms and dashboards for sales, stock cover, sell-through, inventory ageing, and forecast accuracy.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with Buying, Merchandising, Retail Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to ensure alignment between business plans and inventory requirements.
• Strategic Decision-making: Identify business risks and growth opportunities through data-driven insights and recommend actions to improve profitability and retail performance.
• Process Improvement: Strengthen retail planning processes, reporting systems, and inventory management practices to support scalable business growth.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Graduate/Postgraduate in Retail Management, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.
• 10–15 years of relevant experience in retail planning, merchandise planning, or inventory management, preferably in apparel, fashion, or lifestyle retail.
• Proven experience managing planning activities across a multi-store retail network, preferably Exclusive Brand Outlets.
• Strong understanding of sales forecasting, merchandise financial planning, assortment planning, stock allocation, and replenishment.
• Expertise in analysing sales trends, inventory ageing, stock cover, sell-through, and inventory turnover.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with Power BI, ERP systems, or retail planning tools will be an advantage.
• Strong analytical, commercial, and strategic thinking capabilities.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and team coordination skills.
• Ability to translate business objectives into actionable retail planning strategies.

Ideal Candidate:

A seasoned retail planning professional with strong commercial acumen, analytical expertise, and experience managing merchandise and inventory planning across a multi-store apparel retail business.