Merchandise Planner

Vera Bradley Sales; Roanoke (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vera Bradley Sales is seeking a Merchandise Planner to develop and maintain financial plans across channels, translating strategy into actionable forecasts for sales and gross margin.

The role analyzes historical data, manages in-season forecasts weekly to quarterly, and collaborates across Merchandising, Sales, Store Ops, Finance, and Inventory Planning to optimize inventory and revenue.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, retail management, marketing or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in planning or forecasting.
• Omni channel experience strongly preferred.
• Advanced Excel skills and retail math aptitude.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain merchandise financial plans and forecasts.
• Analyze historical data and trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Forecast in-season sales and inventory weekly, monthly, quarterly.
• Reconcile plans with style/color SKU plans.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to inform demand forecasts.
• Support markdown decisions and gross margin planning.

Skills

Excel

Forecasting

Analytical thinking

Communication

Multitasking

Team player

Education

Bachelor's degree in finance, business, retail management, marketing or related field

Tools

JDA Planning

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Merchandise Planner is responsible for the analysis and identification of business risks and opportunities to maximize sales, profitability, and inventory turnover objectives. This includes creating plans and forecasts for sales and gross margin by channel/department/classification as well as forecasting activities for style/colors associated with channels and products.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (Note: Other duties may be assigned)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Develop and maintain merchandise financial plans and forecasts by channel/department/class and establish inventory targets and strategies, translating the merchandise strategy and vision into actionable plans with profitable results.
• Ensure merchandise plans reconcile to company fiscal targets.
• Analyze historical data and current trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Recap and analyze actual sales results to plan; forecast in-season sales and inventory on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
• Reconcile merchandise plans with the style/color SKU plans.
• Accurately assess financial risk associated with unproductive inventory and closeouts. Perform in-season discounting analysis to support exit strategies and related timing and execution with gross margin implications. Review and recommend items for markdown.
• Work with Merchandising to establish initial markup targets that reconcile to gross margin plans.
• Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with members of all cross-functional areas (Merchandising, Sales, Store Operations, E-Commerce, Marketing, Finance, Retail Allocation and Inventory Planning) to ensure that current and accurate information is used for demand forecasts.
• Develop and propose tactics in response to current business trends.
• Prepare hindsight analysis to identify opportunities for future plans and strategies.
• Analyze promotional effectiveness and make recommendations to guide future decisions.
• Deep dive into style/color plans by channel and/or sub-channel; identify opportunities to drive style and material performance to increase top-line sales while mitigating bottom line risk
• Review historical sales trends, research demand drivers, prepare forecast data and evaluate forecast results
• Coordinate cross-functional research activities to reconcile significant variances and refine forecasts to reflect updated sales and marketing assumptions
• Use JDA Planning software to maintain merchandise class and SKU forecasts
• Provide input to the Inventory Planning organization in developing inventory strategies on existing items, new products, and product phase-outs

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, retail management, marketing or related field, or equivalent experience required
• 2+ years of experience in planning or forecasting field, or equivalent experience required
• Omni channel experience strongly preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Excellent PC skills utilizing Microsoft Office applications, advanced Excel skills a plus
• Detail oriented with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Exceptional organizational skills with demonstrated ability to prioritize workload, and concurrently manage multiple projects.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills with the proven ability to communicate with all levels across the organization
• Strong team player with the ability to build and maintain good rapport with both internal and external customers handling situations with confidence, tact and resourcefulness. Maintains a positive demeanor, is collaborative, and is able to influence and persuade.
• Ability to work and make decisions independently or with little supervision
• Ability to solve complex problems, analyze solutions and take a new perspective on existing solutions
• Ability to apply best practices and industry knowledge to improve products or processes
• High level of analytical thinking and attention to detail with strong aptitude in retail math and forecasting methodology
• Understands the key business drivers and uses this knowledge in own work

ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those an individual must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Office environment: Utilizing an office desk - sitting, reading, listening, or speaking with the ability to move intermittently throughout the day

Ability to work under pressure in