Retail Planner

Position Overview

The Senior Retail Planner will be responsible for driving merchandise and inventory planning strategies to maximize sales, profitability, and inventory productivity for a premium personal care retail brand. With extensive industry experience, this role will lead planning processes, influence buying decisions, and partner with cross-functional teams to ensure the right product mix is available in the right stores at the right time.

Key Responsibilities

1. Merchandise, Inventory & Promotion Planning

• Develop annual, seasonal, and in-season merchandise financial plans aligned with business objectives.
• Lead promotion planning, ensuring campaigns are commercially viable, brand-aligned, and supported by adequate inventory.
• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) frameworks and assortment strategies to optimize sales and profitability.

2. Forecasting, Allocation & Long-Term Planning

• Lead accurate forecasting for sales, stock, and markdowns to ensure optimal inventory productivity.
• Oversee allocation and replenishment strategies to maintain ideal stock levels across all stores.
• Drive

  5-year business planning

  , incorporating growth projections, category expansion, and new market opportunities.

3. Analytical & Strategic Business Management

• Conduct deep performance analysis using KPIs such as sell-through, inventory turns, gross margin, and promotional ROI.
• Review

  P&L performance

  regularly, providing insights to optimize profitability.
• Prepare and present annual business plans and quarterly forecasts to senior management.
• Apply a

  strategic mindset

  to balance short-term results with long-term brand growth.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with merchandising, buying, supply chain, and marketing teams to ensure cohesive business execution.
• Align with retail operations to address store-level performance and inventory challenges.
• Collaborate with marketing to align promotional calendars with product availability and business priorities.

5. Process Improvement & Leadership

• Continuously improve planning, allocation, and promotional management processes using best practices.
• Mentor and develop junior planners and analysts, fostering a high-performance planning culture.
• Champion the adoption of advanced planning tools and analytics to enhance decision-making.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Retail Management, or related field (MBA preferred).

• 10+ years

  of experience in retail planning, merchandise planning, or buying, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record in

  premium beauty, fashion, or personal care retail planning

  .
• Strong experience in

  promotion management

  ,

  annual business planning

  , and

  multi-year strategic planning

  .
• Expertise in

  P&L review

  , OTB management, assortment planning, and forecasting.
• Advanced analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and retail planning systems (SAP, JDA, Oracle, or similar).
• Strong leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.