Planner, Apparel

Kroger; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Kroger in Portland, OR is seeking a Category Financial Planner to partner with buyers to develop annual and weekly plans for GM categories. You will forecast sales, manage gross margin, and coordinate initiatives across divisions to align with corporate goals.

You will analyze performance, support advertising, re-forecast in-season results, and work with replenishment to optimize inventory. Travel to markets and vendor meetings is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field.
• Two years of combined assistant buyer/planner experience.
• Ability to excel in a fast-paced retail environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach direct reports; complete performance reviews and provide feedback.
• Create/manage financial plans by period, incl. sales, gross margin and turnover.
• Create/manage assortment plans; perform product allocation for department stores.
• Provide analysis to drive enterprise sales, margin and inventory strategies.
• Support advertising/display plans; optimize on-floor presentations and turnover.
• Re-forecast in-season sales and margins; address improvement opportunities.
• Reconcile department store open-to-buy; communicate status to stakeholders.
• Analyze seasonal/fashion categories; plan for following season.
• Facilitate team meetings; coordinate with planning and replenishment teams.
• Create/manage sales markdown reports/forecasts for department stores.
• Determine plan-o-gram minimums; communicate results to vendors.
• Monitor industry trends and competitive landscape.
• Analyze promotion/markdown results to support business goals.
• Ensure new/remodeled stores are planned; optimize inventory allocation.
• Travel to markets and for vendor appointments.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Retail knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Work closely with buyers to create category financial plans. Plan, forecast and coordinate each division's weekly, period and annual sales for general merchandise (GM); ensure profit budget is consistent with corporate/division goals. Perform analyses; recommend actionable steps to improve/enhance category performance. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide feedback to direct reports
• Create/manage financial plans by period, including sales, markdowns, gross margin and turnover at sub-class level for department store formats and class level for other formats
• Create/manage assortment plans; perform product allocation for department, marketplace and food stores
• Provide analysis based on quantitative/qualitative sources to drive enterprise sales, margin and inventory strategies
• Support advertising/display plans and optimization of on-floor presentations and turnover
• Re-forecast in-season sales, margin and turnover based on current trends/market dynamics; recommend actions to address improvement opportunities
• Reconcile department store open-to-buy; communicate status to key stakeholders
• Analyze seasonal/fashion categories; recommend courses of action; create a strategy for the following season
• Facilitate team meetings; provide timely communications to the planning team regarding process strategies Work closely with Replenishment team to manage store/warehouse inventory
• Create/manage sales markdown reports/forecasts for department stores
• Determine plan-o-gram minimums by utilizing store volume and with input from GM/divisional merchandise managers, buyers and replenishment analysts; communicate results to vendors
• Maintain awareness of industry trends, the competitive landscape across enterprise and regional needs
• Analyze results of promotions/markdowns; make recommendations to support business goals
• Ensure new/remodeled stores are planned correctly and inventory is allocated to maximize sales
• Travel to markets and for vendor appointments
• Must be able to perform the essential job functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation

Qualifications

Minimum

• Bachelor's Degree business or a related field plus two years of combined assistant buyer and assistant planner experience or a combination of relevant education/experience
• Ability to complete tasks with a high level of accuracy and a strong attention to detail
• High complexity in terms of item difficulty, promo intensity, regionality, category innovation, vendor difficulty, sales/EBITA and growth goals (Lvl 11)
• Moderate complexity in terms of item difficulty, promo intensity, regionality, category innovation, vendor difficulty, sales/EBITA and growth goals (Lvl 10)
• Low complexity in terms of item difficulty, promo intensity, regionality, category innovation, vendor difficulty, sales/EBITA and growth goals (Lvl 9
• Highly motivated/self-directed
• Ability to function in a fast-paced retail/office environment
• Familiar with retail industry technical terms/processes
• Ability to organize/prioritize tasks/projects
• Computer systems knowledge
• Experience directing/participating on project teams