Merchandise Planner/Senior Planner - 12 month Fixed Term Contract

Merchant 1948; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

A free pair of shoes every season

Generous discounts across all Overland

Central location with free parking and

Proximity to public transport

Hybrid working model

Referral bonuses

Regular office & team events

Supportive leadership

Access to EAP

Brand with history

Job summary

Merchant 1948 in Auckland is seeking a commercially minded Merchandise Planner/Senior Planner to join our Merchandise team on a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave. You'll develop plans to drive sales, inventory efficiency and profitability across the business.

Working closely with the wider team, you’ll use your analytical skills to manage stock, forecast demand, and provide insights to optimise trading and merchandising decisions.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in retail planning ideally within footwear or apparel.
• Experience with Ontempo would be advantageous.
• Advanced Excel skills and sound retail maths knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Maintain seasonal budgets, buy plans and Open to Buy (OTB) to maximise sales and profitability.
• Manage seasonal buying cycles and ensure plans align with objectives and inventory targets.
• Maintain demand forecasts and adjust plans based on trading performance.
• Monitor stock levels, health and aged stock to maximise sell-through.
• Analyse in-season sales and stock performance for trends and opportunities.
• Manage stock allocations and seasonal recalls for store readiness.
• Provide commercial insights to support trading decisions.
• Complete post-season analysis and inform future planning and buying.
• Maintain planning reports, dashboards and KPIs with ad hoc analyses.
• Collaborate with Merchandise and cross-functional teams to drive outcomes.

Skills

Retail planning

Open-to-Buy (OTB)

Advanced Excel

Stock management

Forecasting

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Team collaboration

Tools

Ontempo

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Who Are We?We’re a proud, family-owned New Zealand fashion retailer with over 40 stores across New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia. Our iconic brandsMerchant 1948, Mi Piaci, Deuce, and Goodsole are known for delivering exceptional experiences to both our customers and our team.

At the heart of what we do is our people. We offer supportive leadership and recognition for great performance, all within a team that values innovation, collaboration, and excellence.

The Role

We’re looking for a commercially minded and analytical Merchandise Planner/Senior Plannerto join our Merchandise team on a12-month fixed-term contract, covering maternity leave.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced retail planner to play a key role in driving sales, profitability and inventory performance across the business. Working closely with the wider Merchandise team, you’ll use your commercial insight and analytical expertise to develop effective plans, manage stock and identify opportunities to maximise business performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain seasonal budgets, buy plans and Open to Buy (OTB)to maximise sales and profitability.
• Manageseasonal buying cycles, ensuring plans align with business objectives, customer demand and inventory targets.
• Maintain demand forecasts, adjusting sales and stock plans in response to trading performance.
• Monitor and managestock levels, inventory health and aged stock, identifying opportunities to maximise sell-through.
• Analysein-season sales and stock performance, identifying key trends, risks and commercial opportunities.
• Managestock allocations, stock movements and seasonal recallsto ensure stores are appropriately stocked.
• Providecommercial insights and recommendationsto support effective trading and merchandise decision-making.
• Completepost-season analysis and reporting, using learnings to inform future planning and buying decisions.
• Maintainplanning reports, dashboards and KPIs, including ad hoc analysis as required.
• Partner closely withMerchandise and cross-functional teamsto drive sales, improve processes and deliver commercial outcomes.

What you'll bring

• Proven experience in retail planning ideally within footwear or apparel
• Experience with Ontempo would be advantageous
• Advanced Excel skills and sound retail maths knowledge
• Strong commercial acumen and confident decision-making
• Highly organised and detail-oriented
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• A collaborative team player (plus a good sense of humour!)

What’s in it for you?

• A free pair of shoes every season
• Generous discounts across all Overland brands
• Central location with free parking and close proximity to public transport
• A hybrid working model to balance work and life
• Referral bonuses when you bring great people onboard
• Regular office & team events
• Supportive, down-to-earth leadership
• Access to EAP for extra support
• A brand with real history - and exciting things ahead!

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