Allocator, New Store Openings

About the role

Prepare New Store folders – Floor Plans, Cover sheets. Understand customer demographics, and local market trends for new store locations. Analyze sales data, inventory levels, and product performance for existing stores in similar markets to determine appropriate inventory levels and product mix for new store openings. Develop merchandise assortment and allocation that aligns with store targets, Performa, and store format. Keeping in mind all exception lists. Optimize inventory levels by ensuring adequate products across all categories available for assortment. Confirm final assortment to leave DC assuring all product allocated is part of initial shipment. Continuously seek opportunities for process improvement and implement best practices for new store allocations. Additional tasks as needed.

Responsibilities

• Project Timeline Management – Maintain and track NSO allocation timelines, ensuring all milestones (assortment finalization, DC confirmation, shipment readiness) are met according to the store opening calendar.
• Assortment Planning - Develop inventory targets by product category based on customer demographics, historical sales data, and recent product trends in existing stores in similar markets.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partner closely with Buying, Planning, Merchandising, Retail Operations, and Distribution Center teams to align on product availability, visual merchandising strategy, and launch execution.
• Reporting & Documentation – Develop and maintain trackers, status reports, and allocation summaries to keep stakeholders informed of NSO progress and flag potential risks proactively.
• Capacity Planning – Assess and plan for fluctuating NSO volumes, adjusting workload prioritization to accommodate multiple concurrent store openings.
• Post-Opening Analysis – Conduct post-opening inventory reviews to evaluate allocation accuracy, identify gaps, and apply learnings to future NSO strategies.
• System & Data Integrity – Ensure accuracy of all allocation data entered into internal systems, maintaining clean and reliable records throughout the NSO lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Retail Management, or a related field preferred. Experience in footwear retail is preferred but not required.

Skills

• 1–3 years of experience in retail allocation, merchandise planning, inventory management, or a related field preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end project workflows with multiple