Demand Retail Planner

Cane Connects; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Cane Connects is seeking a Demand Planning Manager for our luxury retail client in New York. The role combines end-to-end demand planning, inventory optimization, and lifecycle management across the Americas in a hybrid setup with three days in office in NYC.

You will partner with Merchandising, Retail, Finance, Supply Chain and Global Planning to maximize sales, improve inventory productivity, and support business growth across boutiques, e-commerce, and new store openings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of experience in Demand Planning, Merchandise Planning, Allocation, Inventory Planning, or Supply Chain Planning.
• Luxury retail experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of permanent assortment planning and replenishment strategies.
• Experience managing forecasting, inventory planning, and open-to-buy processes.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to connect inventory decisions to business performance.
• Advanced Excel skills required.
• Experience with Anaplan strongly preferred.
• Experience with AI forecasting or predictive planning tools is a plus.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end demand planning for permanent product across the Americas region.
• Develop and maintain SKU-level monthly demand forecasts by category.
• Align bottom-up forecasts with sales plans, financial targets, and inventory objectives.
• Lead monthly forecast reviews with cross-functional partners.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, identify risks and opportunities, and adjust plans accordingly.
• Drive both pre-season and in-season forecast updates based on business performance.
• Develop permanent assortment strategies by market, channel, and store cluster.
• Define model stock levels by style, size, and location.
• Analyze SKU productivity, lifecycle trends, and selling patterns to optimize inventory.
• Support seasonal purchasing decisions using data-driven demand forecasts.
• Evaluate inventory exposure, excess stock, and markdown risk.
• Manage replenishment strategies to maximize inventory productivity.
• Identify reorder opportunities, transfers, cancellations, and inventory rebalancing.
• Monitor key inventory metrics including forecast accuracy, stock-to-sales ratio, months of supply, and inventory productivity.
• Partner with Logistics and Operations to manage inbound shipments and inventory flow.
• Recommend transportation strategies based on urgency and business impact.
• Analyze store performance and recommend inventory transfers to optimize sales.
• Support new store openings through launch inventory planning and replenishment strategies.
• Maintain data integrity across planning systems.
• Serve as the regional planning lead for demand planning tools and system enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvements to planning processes, reporting, and forecasting capabilities.
• Automate reporting and improve planning efficiency where possible.
• Lead, coach, and develop one direct report.
• Establish performance goals and development plans.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, and analytical excellence across the planning function.

Job description

New York, NY (Hybrid)- 3 days IN OFFICE in NYC.

Overview

Our client, a global luxury retail brand, is seeking a Demand Planning Manager, to oversee end-to-end demand planning, inventory optimization, and permanent product lifecycle management

This highly visible role will be responsible for driving forecast accuracy, optimizing inventory investments, and aligning commercial strategy with financial and supply chain objectives. The position partners closely with Merchandising, Retail, Finance, Supply Chain, and Global Planning teams to maximize sales, improve inventory productivity, and support business growth across boutiques, concessions, e-commerce, and new store openings.

This role will manage one direct report and report directly to the Director of Planning.

Responsibilities

Demand Planning & Forecasting

• Own end-to-end demand planning for permanent product across the Americas region.
• Develop and maintain SKU-level monthly demand forecasts by category.
• Align bottom-up forecasts with sales plans, financial targets, and inventory objectives.
• Lead monthly forecast reviews with cross-functional partners.
• Monitor forecast accuracy, identify risks and opportunities, and adjust plans accordingly.
• Drive both pre-season and in-season forecast updates based on business performance.

Assortment & Inventory Planning

• Develop permanent assortment strategies by market, channel, and store cluster.
• Define model stock levels by style, size, and location.
• Analyze SKU productivity, lifecycle trends, and selling patterns to optimize inventory.
• Support seasonal purchasing decisions using data-driven demand forecasts.
• Evaluate inventory exposure, excess stock, and markdown risk.

Inventory Optimization

• Manage replenishment strategies to maximize inventory productivity.
• Identify reorder opportunities, transfers, cancellations, and inventory rebalancing.
• Monitor key inventory metrics including forecast accuracy, stock-to-sales ratio, months of supply, and inventory productivity.
• Partner with Logistics and Operations to manage inbound shipments and inventory flow.
• Recommend transportation strategies based on urgency and business impact.

Retail Planning

• Analyze store performance and recommend inventory transfers to optimize sales.
• Support new store openings through launch inventory planning and replenishment strategies.

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain data integrity across planning systems.
• Serve as the regional planning lead for demand planning tools and system enhancements.
• Drive continuous improvements to planning processes, reporting, and forecasting capabilities.
• Automate reporting and improve planning efficiency where possible.

Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop one direct report.
• Establish performance goals and development plans.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, and analytical excellence across the planning function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field.
• 5-8 years of experience in Demand Planning, Merchandise Planning, Allocation, Inventory Planning, or Supply Chain Planning.
• Luxury retail experience strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of permanent assortment planning and replenishment strategies.
• Experience managing forecasting, inventory planning, and open-to-buy processes.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to connect inventory decisions to business performance.
• Advanced Excel skills required.
• Experience with Anaplan strongly preferred.
• Experience with AI forecasting or predictive planning tools is a plus.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and presentation skills.

Why Join?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a globally recognized luxury retailer during a period of continued growth and transformation. You'll play a key role in shaping inventory strategy across North America while partnering with senior leaders in merchandising, finance, retail, and supply chain. The organization offers a collaborative environment, strong career growth opportunities, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on a high-performing global business.