Merchandise Planner - Hardware

Mills Fleet Farm e-Commerce Enterprises, LLC; Appleton (WI); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Fleet Farm is seeking a Merchandise Planner – Hardware in Appleton, WI, to ensure the right products are available in the right quantities at the right locations and times. You will build forecasts, analyze sales and inventory trends, and partner with Merchandising, Inventory Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and vendors to develop planning strategies that support seasonal demand and launches.

Your insights will influence inventory decisions, forecast accuracy, and the customer experience, as

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Analytics, or related field.
• Experience in retail planning, demand forecasting, merchandise planning, inventory management, or related analytical role preferred.
• Strong understanding of demand forecasting, inventory planning, seasonality, promotions, and retail drivers.
• Experience using forecasting, planning, ERP, or inventory management systems such as JDA, Oracle, SAP/APO, or similar platforms.
• Strong Excel skills and ability to analyze large data sets to identify trends.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations and actionable decisions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across Merchandising, Inventory, Marketing, and Supply Chain.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain short- and long-term demand forecasts across Hardware products and store locations.
• Analyze sales, inventory, and forecast data to identify risks and opportunities, including stockouts and excess inventory.
• Incorporate promos, seasonality, product launches, and phase-outs into demand plans.
• Monitor forecast performance and adjust plans to improve accuracy and inventory productivity.
• Collaborate with Category Managers, Inventory Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and vendors to align plans with business goals.
• Use data analysis to develop recommendations and support decisions.
• Proactively adjust forecasts as demand, supply, or market conditions change.
• Support planning for new products, seasonal transitions, assortments, and phase-outs.

Skills

Demand forecasting

Inventory management

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel

Communication

Problem solving

SQL

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

JDA

Oracle

SAP/APO

ERP systems

Job description

Corporate Office
2401 S Memorial Dr
Appleton, WI 54915, USA

Description

Fuel Our Future with the Power of Planning

Are you a numbers-savvy, detail-oriented problem solver who enjoys turning data into action? Fleet Farm is looking for a Merchandise Planner – Hardware to help ensure we have the right products, in the right quantities, at the right locations, at the right time.

In this highly collaborative role, you'll develop and adjust demand forecasts, analyze sales and inventory trends, and identify opportunities and risks across our Hardware business. You'll work closely with Merchandising, Inventory Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and vendor partners to develop planning strategies that support seasonal demand, promotional activity, product launches, and overall business growth.

Your insights will directly influence inventory decisions, forecast accuracy, product availability, and the customer experience. If you enjoy connecting data to business strategy, solving problems, and seeing the impact of your work, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Build and maintain short- and long-term demand forecasts across Hardware products and store locations using sales history, inventory trends, seasonality, promotions, and market signals.
• Analyze sales, inventory, and forecast data to identify risks and opportunities, including potential out-of-stocks, excess inventory, and changes in customer demand.
• Incorporate promotional calendars, seasonal events, product launches, and phase-outs into demand plans to anticipate changes in customer demand and inventory needs.
• Monitor forecast performance and key planning metrics, identifying trends and recommending adjustments to improve forecast accuracy, inventory productivity, and product availability.
• Partner closely with Category Managers, Inventory Management, Marketing, Supply Chain, and vendor partners to align merchandise plans and inventory strategies with business objectives.
• Use financial, operational, and market analysis to develop clear recommendations and support informed business decisions.
• Proactively adjust forecasts and planning recommendations when demand, supply, promotional activity, or market conditions change.
• Support planning strategies for new product introductions, seasonal transitions, assortment changes, and product phase-outs.
• Monitor market and customer trends to identify emerging opportunities and potential impacts to Hardware categories.
• Identify and communicate inventory risks, opportunities, and potential gaps to appropriate business partners.
• Partner with internal teams and vendors to resolve forecast, inventory, and data discrepancies and maintain alignment on planning expectations.
• Manage planning calendars, deadlines, and deliverables to ensure forecasts and recommendations are accurate and completed on time.
• Maintain accurate planning data and documentation while identifying opportunities to streamline workflows, improve planning processes, and reduce manual effort.
• Communicate planning insights, risks, and recommendations clearly and consistently across the organization.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and help create alignment when business priorities or perspectives differ.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in retail planning, demand forecasting, merchandise planning, inventory management, supply chain, or a related analytical role preferred.
• Strong understanding of demand forecasting, inventory planning, seasonality, promotional impacts, and retail business drivers.
• Experience using forecasting, planning, ERP, or inventory management systems such as JDA, Oracle, SAP/APO, or similar platforms.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills and the ability to analyze large amounts of data and identify meaningful trends.
• Ability to translate complex data into clear recommendations and actionable business decisions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across Merchandising, Inventory, Marketing, Supply Chain, and vendor partners.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Adaptable and comfortable adjusting plans when business conditions change or things don't go according to plan.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate issues, identify root causes, and recommend solutions.
• Ability to use data to support recommendations, navigate differing perspectives, and build alignment across teams.
• Ability to quickly learn and effectively navigate proprietary merchandising, planning, and inventory systems.
• SQL, Power BI, or other data analytics experience is a plus.
• APICS or other forecasting/supply chain certification is a plus.

Why Join Fleet Farm?

As a Merchandise Planner, your work has a direct impact on what our customers see in our stores and what we have available when they need it. You'll work at the intersection of Merchandising, Inventory, Marketing, and Supply Chain, using data and insights to influence decisions that impact our business and customer experience.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with seasonal demand, promotional events, new products, changing customer behavior, and evolving business priorities. Your ability to anticipate demand, identify risks, and recommend solutions will help Fleet Farm make smarter inventory decisions and deliver a better experience for our customers.

If you enjoy working with data, solving complex problems, collaborating across teams, and turning analysis into action, we want you to be part of the Fleet Farm team.

Fleet Farm is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and gives all applicants for employment equal consideration regardless of race, color, sex, gender, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Upon request and consistent with applicable laws, Fleet Farm will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation to fully participate in the application process.

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.