Merchandise Planner – Retail HO Milnerton

About the Role

Join a growing team in this exciting career opportunity. A national retailer is seeking a Merchandise Planner to partner with Buyers and their Assistants to plan, forecast, and optimise stock performance by supplier. The Merchandise Planner ensures that every decision drives higher stock turn, improved sell-through, and precise open-to-buy (OTB) accuracy — supporting the company's purpose of delivering well-balanced, exciting, and profitable ranges.

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Forecasting

• Build detailed sales, stock, and margin plans by supplier
• Use Trader ERP, Netstock, and Power BI to manage forecasting, replenishment, and OTB tracking
• Create monthly reviews showing sales vs. forecast, highlighting variances and recovery plans

Stock & Performance Management

• Analyse supplier performance by store and channel to maximise stock turn
• Recommend actions to optimise product mix, phase-ins, and exit strategies
• Monitor sell-through, ageing, and markdown exposure; propose corrective actions early

Vendor & Supplier Collaboration

• Support Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) reporting and analysis for key suppliers
• Collaborate with suppliers on stock health, promotional planning, and sell-through insights

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Work closely with Buyers and Buyer's Assistants to align product selection with financial plans
• Liaise with Finance on OTB and cash-flow implications
• Partner with E-Commerce and Store Operations to ensure right stock, right place, right time

Continuous Improvement

• Participate in Agile sprint reviews and retrospectives to refine processes and planning accuracy
• Develop smarter, faster ways of working using data and automation

Key Performance Indicators

• Stock Turn – Improve supplier stock turn to target
• OTB Accuracy – Maintain forecast accuracy within defined variance
• Sell-Through Rate – Achieve targets as defined