Merchandise Planner

Ollie's Bargain Outlet; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision, RX coverage

401K, Company match

20% Associate discount

Voluntary benefits

Job summary

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is hiring a Merchandise Planner in New York to analyze risks and opportunities using retail science and technology. You will partner with Buyers to optimize assortment mixes and strategies to improve cash flow and margins.

You will forecast at the department level, provide actionable recommendations, and support inventory and promotional planning to meet Sales and Margin goals. Strong analytical and communication skills are required.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of prior merchandise planning and/or allocations experience required.
• Strong retail math and analytical skills, able to develop logical recommendations from limited data.
• Strong business development skills: identify opportunities, translate ideas into tasks, assess risks.
• Strong organizational and independent work skills, with ability to prioritize multiple activities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proficient in Excel, Word, Outlook; quick to learn data tools.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and manage Dept/Sub-Dept level merchandise forecasts with Merchants.
• Provide purchase analysis and forecast impact insights to the buying team.
• Develop Assortment Plans to balance inventory and achieve plan goals.
• Create inbound/outbound forecasts to support supply chain and allocation teams.
• Review open-to-buy with merchants to align receipts with forecasts.

Skills

Retail math

Analytical skills

Forecasting

Communication skills

Organization

Independent work

Tools

Excel

ThoughtSpot

JDA

AS400

Job description

• Pay or shift range: $70,000 USD to $120,000 USD
  The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.

Description

Join our team and live the Ollie-tude!: (Ollie’s Core Values)

• BE A TEAM PLAYER- Associates are expected to be supportive and work together.
• BE CARING- How do I treat others with courtesy, dignity, and respect?
• BE VALUE OBSESSED- Live the “good stuff cheap” mindset.
• BE COMMITTED- Operate with grit, passion, tenacity, and action.
• BE GROWING- How do we get better every day?
• BE REAL- Associates should be honest, transparent, genuine, trustworthy, and sincere.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and RX coverage after 30 days of employment.
• 401K, Company match begins at Associate enrollment
• 20% Associate discount on all Ollie’s purchases.
• Vast array of voluntary benefits

Position Overview:

The Merchandise Planner is responsible for analyzing business risks & opportunities utilizing retail science and technology to achieve sales and margin goals while maintaining proper inventory levels. Creating a business partnership with the Buying team to execute a variety of assortment mixes and merchandise strategies to improve cash flow and increase profit margins. Participate in the execution of strategies to mitigate plan shortfalls and / or maximize overages to accomplish sales, margin and inventory turn objectives.

Primary Responsibilities:

Formulate and manage Dept/Sub-Dept level merchandise forecasts, in partnership with the Merchant, through development of forecasts and analysis to assist with higher level strategies.

• Provide purchase analysis recommendations, observations and conclusions to assigned buying team to assist in purchase decisions and forecast impacts.
• Assist in the development of Assortment Plans to achieve plan goals and ensure a proper inventory balance of the overall assortment and store inventory.
• Create inbound/outbound forecasts to assist the supply chain and allocation teams in executing the flow of products to the stores.
• Review open-to-buy with merchants to analyze receipt timing and recommendations based on forecast trend and plan.
• Assist the merchant team with promotional forecasts and recommendations while working with marketing and allocation to ensure execution of promotional strategies.
• Actively identify opportunities to exploit sales and margin opportunities. Work with Buyer, Allocation, Marketing and Supply Chain to ensure execution.
• Assist in the regular review and identification of aged / distressed inventory to recommend promotional or markdown strategies to liquidate inventories most profitably.
• Develop and present analysis that assesses strategies with observations, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Develop and maintain a positive relationship with planning, merchandise, and allocation team members through a collaborative team atmosphere and active communication.
• Assist the team in achieving Sales Dollar, Margin Dollar and Inventory Turn targets for assigned product areas.
• Achieve forecast accuracy targets for sales, promotional, and inventory forecasts.
• Others as established by the Management Team.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of prior merchandise planning and/or allocations experience required.
• Strong retail math and analytical skills, as evidenced by:
  • Ability to develop logical recommendations with limited data in a closeout environment
  • Ability to develop comprehensive forecasts and planning strategies
• Strong Business development skills and judgment, as evidenced by:
  • Ability to conceptualize future opportunities and initiatives
  • Translate ideas into actionable tasks
  • Ability to identify, quantify, and communicate opportunity and risks.
• Strong Organizational Skills, as evidenced by:
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities
  • Ability to work independently
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• System skills include Excel, Word, Outlook, and the ability to quickly learn new data analysis tools. (ThoughtSpot, JDA, and A/S400 a plus)

Physical Requirements:

• Physical ability to sit for extended periods and work at a computer.
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner

This pay represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. Pay ranges may be different in other locations. Actual associate pay will be based on work location, position, experience, skill level, qualifications, and other relevant factors. Associate will not be compensated below the minimum wage for the specific location where the individual has applied in accordance with city, county, and state requirements.

Ollie’s is an equal opportunity employer. In compliance with Federal and State Equal Opportunity Laws, qualified applicants are considered for all positions applied for without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and identity, national origin, age, veteran’s status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.