Senior Merchandise Planner, Retail Inventory & Forecasting

merchant1948; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free shoes each season

Employee discounts across Overland/mer

Hybrid working model

Central location with parking

Referral bonuses

Office events

Job summary

merchant1948 in New Zealand is seeking a commercially minded Merchandise Planner/Senior Planner on a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave in Auckland. You will drive sales, profitability and inventory performance with strong planning and analytical capabilities.

Responsibilities include budgets, OTB, demand forecasting, stock management and post-season analysis, partnering with the broader Merchandise team to optimise commercial outcomes. Hybrid work model offered.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in retail planning, ideally footwear or apparel.
• Ontempo experience would be advantageous.
• Advanced Excel skills and solid retail maths knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Maintain seasonal budgets, buy plans and Open to Buy (OTB) to maximise sales and profitability.
• Manage seasonal buying cycles, ensuring plans align with objectives and inventory targets.
• Maintain demand forecasts, adjusting sales and stock plans as trading evolves.
• Monitor stock levels, inventory health and aged stock to maximise sell-through.
• Analyse in-season sales and stock performance for trends and opportunities.
• Manage stock allocations, movements and recalls to keep stores stocked appropriately.
• Provide commercial insights to support trading and merchandise decisions.
• Complete post-season analysis and reporting to inform future planning.
• Maintain planning reports, dashboards and KPIs with ad hoc analyses.
• Collaborate with Merchandise and cross-functional teams to drive results.

Skills

Retail planning

Ontempo (adv)

Advanced Excel

Commercial acumen

Organised & detail-oriented

Communication & stakeholder mgmt

Team player (humour)

Tools

Ontempo

Job description

merchant1948 in New Zealand is seeking a commercially minded Merchandise Planner/Senior Planner on a 12-month fixed-term contract covering maternity leave in Auckland. You will drive sales, profitability and inventory performance with strong planning and analytical capabilities.

Responsibilities include budgets, OTB, demand forecasting, stock management and post-season analysis, partnering with the broader Merchandise team to optimise commercial outcomes. Hybrid work model offered.