Senior Merchandise Allocator

Velvet LLC; Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Velvet LLC is seeking a Senior Merchandise Allocator to drive allocation strategies across stores and channels, optimizing inventory flow and supporting financial plans. You will partner with Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Store Ops to align product flow with priorities and ensure timely distribution.

The role emphasizes a highly analytical, detail-oriented approach in a fast-paced retail environment, with responsibilities spanning replenishment, performance analysis, and process

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or related field.
• 2-3 years of experience in Allocation, Planning, or Inventory Management; multi-store retail experience required.
• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with ERP/Allocation systems preferred.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of retail math, inventory management principles, and store-level dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute allocation strategies that support sales, margin, and inventory goals across all stores/channels.
• Manage weekly replenishment and initial allocations to ensure optimal inventory levels by location, size, and style.
• Analyze store performance, selling trends, and inventory positions to make proactive allocation adjustments.
• Partner with Planning and Buying to align allocation decisions with financial plans, receipt flows, and inventory targets.
• Ensure new store openings, remodels, and special events receive appropriate inventory support.
• Own PO management across stores.
• Monitor stock levels and identify opportunities to maximize full-price selling and minimize markdown risk.
• Recommend transfers, consolidations, and rebalancing actions to improve productivity and reduce liabilities.
• Collaborate with Planning, Buying and Merchandising to support end-of-season strategies and inventory exit plans.
• Maintain a deep understanding of store clusters, capacity, and selling patterns to inform allocation decisions.
• Produce and analyze weekly reporting on store performance, inventory health, and allocation effectiveness.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities and communicate insights to Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Leadership.
• Support in-season forecasting by providing store-level insights and performance readouts.
• Work closely with Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Store Operations to ensure alignment on product flow and priorities.
• Partner with Distribution and Logistics to ensure timely and accurate execution of allocation decisions.
• Collaborate with Buying and Merchandising on assortment depth, size curves, and store-specific needs.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert on allocation systems, tools, and best practices.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and visibility.
• Train and mentor junior allocators, providing guidance on analysis, systems, and allocation strategy.

Skills

Allocation

Inventory management

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or related field

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

The Senior Merchandise Allocator plays a critical role in ensuring the right product is in the right place at the right time to maximize sales, margin, and inventory productivity. This role is responsible for leading allocation strategies across stores (or channels), optimizing inventory flow, and partnering cross-functionally to support financial plans and assortment strategies.

This is a highly analytical, detail-oriented role ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced retail environment and can balance strategic thinking with flawless execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute allocation strategies that support sales, margin, and inventory goals across all stores/channels.
• Manage weekly replenishment and initial allocations to ensure optimal inventory levels by location, size, and style.
• Analyze store performance, selling trends, and inventory positions to make proactive allocation adjustments.
• Partner with Planning and Buying to align allocation decisions with financial plans, receipt flows, and inventory targets.
• Ensure new store openings, remodels, and special events receive appropriate inventory support.
• Own PO management across stores.

Inventory Optimization

• Monitor stock levels and identify opportunities to maximize full-price selling and minimize markdown risk.
• Recommend transfers, consolidations, and rebalancing actions to improve productivity and reduce liabilities.
• Collaborate with Planning, Buying and Merchandising to support end-of-season strategies and inventory exit plans.
• Maintain a deep understanding of store clusters, capacity, and selling patterns to inform allocation decisions.

Reporting & Analysis

• Produce and analyze weekly reporting on store performance, inventory health, and allocation effectiveness.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities and communicate insights to Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Leadership.
• Support in-season forecasting by providing store-level insights and performance readouts.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work closely with Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Store Operations to ensure alignment on product flow and priorities.
• Partner with Distribution and Logistics to ensure timely and accurate execution of allocation decisions.
• Collaborate with Buying and Merchandising on assortment depth, size curves, and store-specific needs.

Process & System Leadership

• Serve as a subject-matter expert on allocation systems, tools, and best practices.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and visibility.
• Train and mentor junior allocators, providing guidance on analysis, systems, and allocation strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or related field.
• 2-3 years of experience in Allocation, Planning, or Inventory Management; multi-store retail experience required.
• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with ERP/Allocation systems preferred.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional partners.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of retail math, inventory management principles, and store-level dynamics.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• Stores consistently receiving the right product at the right time to maximize sales.
• Improved inventory productivity through strategic allocation and proactive rebalancing.
• Clear, data-driven communication that supports Planning and Merchandising decisions.
• Strong partnership across Planning, Merchandising, and Operations.
• A more efficient, accurate, and insight-driven allocation process.

Salary Range - $ 85,000.00 to $ 1000,000.00