Store Planner

The Guitar Center Company; Westlake Village (CA); On-site; USD 35,817 - 46,356; Full time

Job summary

The Guitar Center Company seeks a Store Planner in Westlake Village, California, to manage the flow of products to stores aligned with assortment strategies. Responsibilities include initiating model stock quantities, monitoring inventory health, customizing allocations based on regional preferences, and analyzing sales data. A Bachelor's Degree in Business or Supply Chain and 2 years of relevant experience are required. The hourly pay rate ranges from $26.00 to $33.65 based on experience.

Qualifications

• 2 years of relevant work experience preferred.
• Comprehensive knowledge of retail industry and logistics.
• Merchandising experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage product flow to stores based on strategy.
• Monitor inventory health and sales velocity.
• Customize allocations based on regional preferences.
• Analyze sales and inventory data for insights.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data manipulation

Planning systems knowledge

Intermediate to advanced Excel

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business or Supply Chain

Tools

Relex

SO99

JDA

Power BI

Job description

The Store Planner manages the flow of products to Guitar Center stores in line with assortment strategy and replenishes active assortment to ensure best in class in‑stock position. The Store Planner helps build regional, district, and store stocking strategies to assist in strategic allocation of products to drive sales. They will work with merchandise planners to communicate store needs and avoid shortages. They will monitor DC activity and reserves to monitor the progress of stock from DC to store.

Responsibilities

• Initiate model stock quantities for new product launches in alignment with merchant team strategies, ensuring optimal distribution to the right stores based on historical sales, store tiering, customer demographics, and localized market nuances.
• Monitor sales velocity and inventory health to ensure top-selling items and seasonal gear are consistently in‑stock across high-performing stores.
• Customize allocations to reflect regional preferences (e.g., demand for DJ gear in urban locations vs. acoustic instruments in suburban markets).
• Track item-level performance across categories and adjust distribution based on sales trends, product popularity, and market response.
• Identify underperforming or overstocked items and adjust allocation or initiate transfers to maximize turns and minimize markdowns.
• Anticipate allocation needs around key events (e.g., holiday promotions, NAMM launches, BTS season) and exclusive drops.
• Partner with merchandise planners to execute strategies aligned with financial targets and open‑to‑buy (OTB) plans.
• Communicate store-level trends, product feedback, and regional anomalies to help inform future buys and assortments.
• Work closely with DCs and logistics teams to ensure accurate and timely delivery of products to stores.
• Execute allocation strategies for new openings, remodels, or relocated stores based on projected sales potential and community needs.
• Support exit strategies for discontinued SKUs and aged inventory by reallocating to high‑performing clearance locations.
• Leverage tools like Relex, SO99, JDA, and internal platforms to execute order proposals, automated replenishment, and inventory optimization.
• Analyze sales and inventory data using Omni, EDW, Excel, or Power BI to generate actionable insights and influence allocation decisions.
• Support special requests as needed, such as providing detailed analysis of inventory and sales performance at the store level for senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree preferably in Business, Merchandising/ Supply Chain (or 4 years of relevant work experience)
• 2 years of relevant work experience (in addition to degree or years of previous experience).
• Strong analytical, data manipulation to gain insight into the business. Strong knowledge of planning systems. Excel intermediate to advanced.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the retail industry, omnichannel, supply chain and logistics. Merchandising experience a plus.

Pay Rate: $26.00 - $33.65 / hourly depending on background and experience. The job posting is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific employee, which is always dependent on actual experience, education, and other factors. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.

Guitar Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides fair and equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected status prohibited under Federal, State, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on valid job‑related requirements.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website, you may request a reasonable accommodation to express interest in a specific opening. You can request reasonable accommodation by calling 1‑818‑735‑8800 ext. 2862 or by sending an email to [e-mail].