Merchandise Planner

About the Role

This position supports the Ben Bridge merchandise function by developing, maintaining, and analyzing merchandise financial plans and forecasts for assigned categories. The Merchandise Planner partners with Buying, Planning, and Allocation teams to align category financial plans with merchandising strategies, sales trends, inventory objectives, and gross margin goals. The role focuses on maximizing sales, gross margin, inventory productivity, and turn through accurate financial planning, timely business analysis, and clear communication of risks and opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update sales, margin, inventory, and open-to-buy plans for assigned product categories.
• Support merchandise plans and forecasts by analyzing historical performance, current trends, seasonality, pricing, promotions, and inventory position.
• Maintain open-to-buy reporting and communicate risks, opportunities, and recommended actions to support sales, margin, inventory, and turn objectives.
• Build ad hoc reporting for Merchants and analyze business as required.
• Support annual and semi-annual sales, margin, and inventory planning processes.
• Prepare and communicate regular business updates, reporting summaries, and forecast recommendations to the Merchandising team.
• Manage SKU-level plans, forecasts, order and SKU status updates as needed.
• Work with Merchandising partners to support business objectives.
• Recognize business trends and revise forecasts and plans as needed while recommending supplemental contingency plans where necessary.
• Collaborate with Buying, Allocation, Marketing, Finance, Distribution Center, and IT departments to support and execute merchandising plans.

Requirements

• Three or more years of corporate retail experience in merchandise planning, allocation, financial planning, product demand planning, or related merchandising analysis.
• Experience in merchandise financial planning, forecasting, open-to-buy management, pricing analysis, and inventory management preferred.
• Understanding of product assortment, SKU-level performance, allocation activity, seasonality, pricing, and promotional impacts on merchandise plans and forecasts.
• Strong analytical and advanced retail math skills, along with proficiency in Excel, Word, and planning systems.
• Advanced organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to partner effectively within the broader Merchandising team, including Buying, Planning, and Allocation.

Schedule

Hybrid schedule with predictable onsite attendance required three or more days per week.

Location

North Kansas City, MO (Store Support Center)