Business Analyst (Retail Planning & Analytics)

Role & responsibilities

Business Planning & Performance Tracking

• Lead business planning and Annual Operating Plan (AOP) tracking for the retail division.
  
• Monitor monthly performance variances, highlight gaps, and suggest agile course corrections to meet business objectives.
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Finance, Marketing, and Merchandising teams to enable data-driven decisions around budgeting and investments.
  
• Align operational and marketing strategies to drive growth and optimize resource allocation.
  

Merchandise Analytics & Forecasting

• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB), sell-through, and aged inventory analysis to support efficient purchase planning.
  
• Collaborate with merchandising and finance teams to improve forecasting accuracy and inventory turns.
  

Margin & Profitability Initiatives

• Identify and track key levers to grow revenue and improve contribution margins for key product categories.
  
• Analyze performance drivers and develop actionable insights to support profitability goals.
  

Brand Strategy Support

• Support the scale-up of premium and emerging brands through deep-dive analysis and performance tracking.
  
• Contribute to strategic growth plans in collaboration with brand and category teams.
  

Demand Planning & Predictive Modelling

• Build and maintain predictive models to support seasonal and long-term demand planning.
  
• Improve sell-through and inventory efficiency through data-backed insights.

Preferred candidate profile

• Bachelors degree in Engineering or Commerce; MBA or CA preferred.
  
• 2-4 years of experience in business analysis, buying, merchandising, or planning functions in retail or consumer businesses.
  
• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Excel and SQL; familiarity with BI tools like Tableau or Power BI is a plus.
  
• Ability to influence stakeholders and collaborate effectively across functions.
  
• Strong business acumen, with a hands-on approach to problem-solving and execution.