Merchandise Planner

Placements24; East London; On-site; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and retirement benefits

Employee discounts on merchandise

Professional development opportunities

East London location

Competitive salary with bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a strategic Merchandise Planner in East London to forecast demand, optimize inventory, and ensure the right products are available when needed. You will partner with buying, marketing, and store operations to create impactful merchandise plans and maximize profitability.

The role requires strong analytical skills, retail math proficiency, and experience with planning software. You will contribute to smart purchasing decisions and drive inventory efficiency across channels.

Qualifications

• Experience as a merchandise planner or in related retail planning roles.
• Strong analytical and quantitative abilities with Excel.
• Solid understanding of retail math, inventory management, and forecasting.
• Ability to interpret sales data and market trends to inform plans.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance or related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute seasonal and annual merchandise plans.
• Forecast demand and manage inventory to meet targets.
• Analyze sales performance and identify trends to optimize assortment.
• Collaborate with buying to align assortments with brand strategy.
• Develop allocation strategies for multi-channel distribution.
• Monitor turnover, gross margin and KPI performance.

Skills

Merchandise planning

Data analysis

Communication

Collaboration

Retail math

Forecasting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Marketing/Finance

Tools

Excel

Planning software

Job description

About the Role

Our client is looking for a strategic and analytical Merchandise Planner to join their team in East London. This role is critical for forecasting demand, optimizing inventory levels, and ensuring the right products are available at the right time to meet customer needs and maximize profitability. You will work closely with buying, marketing, and store operations teams to develop effective merchandise plans. The ideal candidate possesses strong financial acumen, excellent analytical skills, and a deep understanding of the retail market, contributing to smart purchasing decisions for the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute seasonal and annual merchandise plans based on sales data and market trends.
• Forecast product demand and manage inventory levels to meet sales targets while minimizing excess stock.
• Analyze sales performance, identify trends, and provide insights to optimize assortment and allocation strategies.
• Collaborate with the buying team to select product assortments that align with brand strategy and customer preferences.
• Develop allocation strategies to ensure optimal product distribution across all sales channels.
• Monitor inventory turnover, gross margin, and other key performance indicators.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Merchandise Planner or in a similar planning or allocation role within retail.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with proficiency in Excel and planning software.
• Excellent understanding of retail math, inventory management, and forecasting principles.
• Ability to interpret sales data and market trends to make informed planning decisions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Finance, or a related field.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health and retirement benefits.
• Employee discounts on merchandise.
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement in retail planning.
• A supportive work environment located in East London.