Associate Planner, Tech

About the role

At Five Below our growth is a result of the people who embrace our purpose: We know life is way better when you are free to Let Go & Have Fun in an amazing experience, filled with unlimited possibilities, priced so low, you can always say yes to the newest, coolest stuff! Just ask any of our over 35,000 crew members who work at Five Below and they'll tell you there's no other place like it. It all starts with our purpose and then, The Five Below Way, which is our values and behaviors that each and every crew member believes in. It's all about culture at Five Below, making this a place that can inspire you as much as you inspire us with big ideas, super energy, passion, and the ability to make the workplace a WOWplace!

Responsibilities

• Ladder Planning & OTB — Build and maintain seasonal/annual sales, inventory, and receipt (ladder) plans by department/class, and support Open-to-Buy management to keep the business on track to plan.
• Demand Forecasting — Develop statistical and trend-based demand forecasts — incorporating seasonality, promotions, and historical sell-through — to inform receipt flow and inventory decisions.
• Reforecasting & Sell-Through — Continuously reforecast the business, monitor stock-to-sales ratios and sell-through, and recommend markdown or reorder actions to protect margin and turn.
• Assortment & Buy Support — Partner with Buyers and Merchandisers on assortment decisions, reviewing style/color/size plans to confirm they support financial and inventory targets.
• Inventory Optimization — Calculate safety stock and reorder points, and coordinate with Allocation to ensure the right inventory reaches the right stores at the right time.
• Reporting & Insights — Build and distribute sales, inventory, and forecast-accuracy reports, translating data into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations, for cross-functional and executive digestion.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration — Participate in business reviews with Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Finance to align on plans, risks, and opportunities.
• Initial Purchase Order quantity and margin validation and approval
• Team Support — Support new item forecasting, ad hoc analysis, and special projects for the broader Planning team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, Economics, or a related field.
• 3–5 years of experience in retail planning, demand forecasting, buying, or allocation — in line with the typical experience range for a Planner role across the retail industry.
• Strong retail math skills, including Open-to-Buy (OTB), sell-through, stock-to-sales ratio, turn, and GMROI, plus familiarity with statistical/trend-based forecasting.
• Advanced Excel skills (PivotTables, VLOOKUPs); experience with planning/allocation or demand-forecasting systems (e.g., o9, Blue Yonder/JDA, Oracle Retail, SAP) preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large volumes of data and translate it into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across Planning, Buying, Merchandising, and Allocation.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• High attention to detail and accuracy, with solid retail industry knowledge and understanding of customer behavior.