WHOLESALE PLANNER (Full Price Channel)

Aeropostale, Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 63,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) with company match

Associate discount

Job summary

Catalyst Brands is seeking a Wholesale Planner (Full-Price Channel) to partner with Senior Planner on financial and merchandise planning across Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, and future initiatives.

The role emphasizes analytics, forecasting accuracy, and cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Merchandising, and Operations, leveraging AI-enabled tools to drive productivity and reporting capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Merchandising, Statistics, or related field.
• 3–5+ years of experience in wholesale planning, merchandise planning, forecasting, or analytical roles in apparel/retail.
• Wholesale apparel experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing financial plans, forecasts and performance analysis.

Responsibilities

• Develop annual, seasonal, and monthly financial plans by brand, account, and product category.
• Manage account-level forecasting, in-season projections, and margin objectives.
• Analyze trends, bookings, shipments, and account performance for informed decisions.
• Deliver weekly, monthly, and seasonal reporting packages to leadership.

Skills

Wholesale planning experience

Forecasting

Data analysis

Excel (Pivot Tables)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Merchandising, Statistics, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Copilot

ChatGPT

Power BI

SAP

MicroStrategy

Seventh Online

NuOrder

Job description

Overview

The Wholesale Planner (Full-Price Channel) partners closely with the Senior Planner to support the financial and merchandise planning strategy across a portfolio of wholesale apparel brands, including Lucky Brand, Aéropostale, and future business initiatives. This role is responsible for developing forecasts, analyzing business performance, and delivering actionable insights that drive sales growth, maximize profitability, and support strategic business decisions.

The ideal candidate is a highly analytical and commercially savvy planning professional with strong wholesale experience, exceptional retail math and forecasting skills, and the ability to turn complex data into meaningful business recommendations. As a key cross-functional partner, this individual will collaborate closely with Sales, Merchandising, and Operations teams to optimize business performance while leveraging both traditional planning methodologies and AI-powered tools to enhance forecasting accuracy, reporting capabilities, and overall decision-making.

Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Partner with the Senior Planner in developing annual, seasonal, and monthly financial plans by brand, account, and product category.
• Manage account-level forecasting and in-season business projections, identifying risks and opportunities to achieve sales and margin objectives.
• Analyze trends, bookings, shipments, and account performance to support informed business decisions.
• Support budget, forecast, and long-range planning processes across multiple wholesale channels.

Business Analysis & Reporting

• Develop, maintain, and enhance weekly, monthly, and seasonal reporting packages.
• Monitor and analyze key business metrics including sales, bookings, margins, productivity, and account performance.
• Deliver timely business insights and strategic recommendations to planning leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Prepare executive recaps, hindsight analyses, and ad hoc reporting to support decision-making.

Wholesale Account Planning

• Support planning activities across key wholesale customers, including department stores, specialty retailers, e-commerce partners, and marketplace channels.
• Analyze customer buy patterns, market performance, and product productivity to inform future planning strategies.
• Partner with Sales teams to evaluate opportunities, assess business health, and support account growth initiatives.
• Provide financial recaps and performance analysis during key market and selling milestones.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships with Sales, Merchandising, Production, Operations, and Supply Chain teams.
• Communicate risks, opportunities, and business performance clearly to stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization.
• Support strategic initiatives, process improvements, and enhancements to planning tools and reporting capabilities.
• Champion data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Merchandising, Statistics, or a related field.
• 3-5+ years of experience in wholesale planning, merchandise planning, forecasting, or other analytical roles within the apparel, retail, or consumer products industry.
• Wholesale apparel experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing financial plans, forecasts, and business performance analysis.
• Strong understanding of merchandising, forecasting, retail math, and wholesale business drivers.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables, advanced formulas.
• Experience with planning systems, business intelligence platforms, and reporting tools preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting multi-brand and multi-channel wholesale businesses.
• Experience with MicroStrategy, Full Circle, Skypad, SAP, Seventh Online, or NuOrder a plus.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI-enabled tools such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gemini, Power BI AI capabilities, or predictive analytics solutions to automate reporting, improve forecasting, identify business opportunities, and drive productivity.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for applying emerging technologies to modern planning practices.

Key Competencies

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Strategic thinker with solid business and financial acumen.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into actionable recommendations.
• Proven problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Results-oriented with strong ownership and accountability.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.

Success Measures

• Achievement of sales and margin goals.
• Forecast accuracy and planning effectiveness.
• Quality and impact of business insights and recommendations.
• Growth and productivity across wholesale accounts and brands.
• Continuous improvement of reporting, analytics, and planning processes.
• Adoption of innovative and AI-driven solutions that enhance business decision-making.

What you get

• If eligible, we offer a competitive benefits package including medical/dental/vision, term life insurance, paid vacation/holidays*, and 401(k) with Company match.
• All associates are eligible for an associate discount on Catalyst Brands merchandise.
• For paid holidays, associates who are eligible for paid vacation (MTO) are also eligible for eight paid holidays during the calendar year.
• All store hourly associates scheduled to work on a designated holiday will receive additional compensation.
• *For paid vacation days, as well as eligibility requirements for other benefits, please visit www.catalystbrandsbenefits.com

Pay Range USD $62,700.00 - USD $114,000.00 /Yr.