Hybrid Associate Merchandise Planner: Inventory & Growth

Hot Topic & BoxLunch; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

Hot Topic & BoxLunch is seeking an Associate Merchandise Planner to drive inventory efficiency and increase sales. The role focuses on optimizing stock levels, analyzing trends, and cross-functional collaboration with buying and marketing teams.

The ideal candidate has 1–2 years in retail planning, strong Excel skills, and a data-driven mindset. The position offers a hybrid schedule with HQ work in City of Industry, CA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, or related field preferred.
• 1–2 years of experience in retail planning or inventory management.
• Strong analytical and data-driven mindset.
• Proficiency in Excel and an understanding of data analysis; VBA/AI experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Monitor sales and inventory levels to support business goals.
• Analyze product performance and customer demand to optimize assortment.
• Manage and maintain the open-to-buy process with recommendations to align sales, margin, and inventory goals.
• Leverage KPIs such as sales, margin, and sell-through to highlight opportunities and mitigate risks.
• Collaborate with buying and marketing when planning promotional strategy.
• Use analytics tools to generate insights and assist with reporting.
• Translate competitive retail trends into actionable recommendations for assortment and pricing strategies.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Excel proficiency

Data analysis

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

VBA

AI

Job description

Hot Topic & BoxLunch is seeking an Associate Merchandise Planner to drive inventory efficiency and increase sales. The role focuses on optimizing stock levels, analyzing trends, and cross-functional collaboration with buying and marketing teams.

The ideal candidate has 1–2 years in retail planning, strong Excel skills, and a data-driven mindset. The position offers a hybrid schedule with HQ work in City of Industry, CA.