Merchandise Planning & Allocation Analyst

Aquent; Reynoldsburg (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is seeking a Senior Demand & Deployment (D&D) Analyst to optimize inventory across stores and channels. You’ll translate sales and stock data into deployment plans that maximize availability, margins, and customer satisfaction.

In this role you’ll partner with merchandising, planning, and operations, perform store- and size-level analyses, and contribute to fast-paced, data-driven decision making in a dynamic retail environment.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in merchandise planning, allocation, or inventory deployment in retail or consumer goods.
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Experience with store-level, SKU-level, or size-level performance analysis.

Responsibilities

• Execute inventory deployment and allocation strategies across stores and channels
• Analyze sales, demand, and inventory trends to optimize stock levels
• Partner with merchandising, planning, and operations teams on floorset and assortment strategies
• Perform store-level and size-level analyses to identify opportunities and correct imbalances
• Generate recurring and ad-hoc reports to support inventory decisions
• Support international and domestic partners, including franchise relationships
• Contribute to process improvements in reporting, analytics, and deployment workflows

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Data storytelling

Cross-functional collaboration

Retail/inventory experience

Tools

Forecasting systems

Job description

Senior Demand & Deployment (D&D) Analyst

About the Role

We’re seeking a highly analytical Senior Demand & Deployment (D&D) Analyst to support inventory strategy and execution across a dynamic retail business. In this role, you’ll play a key part in ensuring the right products are in the right place at the right time—optimizing inventory levels to drive sales, margin, and customer satisfaction. You’ll work at the intersection of merchandise planning, allocation, and analytics—partnering with cross-functional teams to align demand forecasts with inventory deployment strategies across stores and channels.

What You’ll Do

• Execute inventory deployment and allocation strategies across stores and channels
• Analyze sales, demand, and inventory trends to optimize stock levels and maximize performance
• Partner with merchandising, planning, and operations teams to support floorset planning and assortment strategies
• Perform store-level and size-level analysis to identify opportunities and correct imbalances
• Generate recurring and ad-hoc reporting to support inventory and planning decisions
• Identify opportunities to improve assortment productivity and allocation efficiency
• Support international and domestic partners, including franchise relationships, to align inventory strategies
• Contribute to process improvements in reporting, analytics, and deployment workflows

What You Bring

• 3–5 years of experience in merchandise planning, allocation, or inventory deployment within retail or consumer goods
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (working with large datasets, building models, pivot tables)
• Experience with store-level, SKU-level, or size-level performance analysis
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, data-driven environment
• Strong communication skills and experience working with cross-functional teams

Nice to Have

• Experience in apparel, fashion, or size-intensive retail environments
• Exposure to international markets or franchise operations
• Familiarity with planning, forecasting, or allocation systems (any equivalent tools)
• Understanding of retail financial metrics (sales, margin, sell-through, inventory turns)
• Experience supporting floorset planning or assortment optimization

Why Join

• Work on high-impact inventory decisions that directly influence business performance
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across merchandising, planning, and operations
• Gain exposure to both strategic planning and hands‑on execution
• Be part of a fast-paced, data-driven retail environment

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