Associate Planner

Arhaus; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Arhaus is seeking an Associate Merchandise Planner to build and maintain financial category plans, forecast Open to Buy, and partner with Merchandising, Sourcing, Stores/Ecom, and Distribution to hit targets.

You will develop SKU level plans, manage inventory, price actions, and SKU productivity, while driving margin and turnover through data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent business experience.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Allocation or Buying.
• High proficiency in Excel.
• Thorough understanding of retail math.
• Strong analytical curiosity and critical thinking.
• Drive to problem-solve, continuously improve and execute.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work in a dynamic / fluid environment with efficiency, accuracy and sense of urgency.

Responsibilities

• Develop annual / seasonal / monthly category merchandise financial plans in accordance with company goals, historical performance and trend analysis.
• Create SKU level sales and inventory plans for seasonal Investment Reviews to ensure the correct inventory levels in place to support category plans.
• Continuously analyze and reforecast the Open to Buy and recommend / execute strategies to maximize opportunities and minimize risk.
• Monitor and manage inventory levels throughout product lifecycle to stay in line with the turn and inventory plan, partnering with Sourcing and Vendors to adjust on order where appropriate.
• Develop and execute price actions to drive sales and margin across new products, promotions and markdowns.
• Evaluate stock and sales by store or DC for replenishment product and make recommendations to balance inventory and drive SKU productivity.
• Conduct detailed SKU hindsight analysis and present findings and actions to maximize SKU productivity, margin and turn.
• Set and communicate KPI targets and updates (e.g. SKU Count & Productivity, Sales, Margin and Inventory targets) to Merchandising partners

Skills

Excel proficiency

Retail math

Analytical mindset

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Arhaus was founded in 1986 on a simple idea: Furniture and décor should be sustainably sourced, lovingly made, and built to last. Today, we partner with artisans around the world who share our vision, creating beautiful, heirloom-quality pieces that can be used – and loved – for generations.

The Associate Merchandise Planner is responsible for creating and maintaining monthly and yearly financial plans for their assigned categories and effectively partnering with the Merchandising, Sourcing, Channel (Stores / Ecom) and Distribution & Logistics teams on identifying and implementing strategies to achieve the approved plans.

• Develop annual / seasonal / monthly category merchandise financial plans in accordance with company goals, historical performance and trend analysis.
• Create SKU level sales and inventory plans for seasonal Investment Reviews to ensure the correct inventory levels in place to support category plans.
• Continuously analyze and reforecast the Open to Buy and recommend / execute strategies to maximize opportunities and minimize risk.
• Monitor and manage inventory levels throughout product lifecycle to stay in line with the turn and inventory plan, partnering with Sourcing and Vendors to adjust on order where appropriate.
• Develop and execute price actions to drive sales and margin across new products, promotions and markdowns.
• Evaluate stock and sales by store or DC for replenishment product and make recommendations to balance inventory and drive SKU productivity.
• Conduct detailed SKU hindsight analysis and present findings and actions to maximize SKU productivity, margin and turn.
• Set and communicate KPI targets and updates (e.g. SKU Count & Productivity, Sales, Margin and Inventory targets) to Merchandising partners

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent business experience
• Minimum 3 years of experience in Merchandise Planning, Allocation or Buying
• High proficiency in Excel
• Thorough understanding of retail math
• Strong analytical curiosity and critical thinking
• Drive to problem-solve, continuously improve and execute
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivated and able to work in a dynamic / fluid environment with efficiency, accuracy and sense of urgency

Arhaus is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. Arhaus is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Arhaus are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Arhaus will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. Arhaus encourages applicants of all ages.

AI CODE OF CONDUCT

Our interviews are focused on getting to know you, your experiences, skills, perspectives, and potential.We encourage candidates to use AI to support resume refinement, interview preparation, brainstorming, and communication. All application materials, assessments, and interview responses must accurately reflect your own experiences, qualifications, and capabilities. We ask that you participate in phone and virtual interviews without using AI to develop your responses.To protect the integrity of our hiring process and the confidentiality of information shared during interviews, candidates may not record, transcribe, or use AI-powered note-taking tools during interviews.We expect all candidates to participate in the hiring process with honesty and integrity. For take-home assignments or role-specific assessments where AI use ispermitted,we request transparency on which specific tools were usedand how the tools were used and expect an explanation of your approach, contributions, and decision-making.

Equal Opportunity Employer
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