Planning Manager

Job Overview:

The Planning Manager is responsible for driving commercial performance through effective pre‑season planning and in‑season trading. This role supports both the Retail Manager and the Merchandising team by providing accurate financial plans, forecasts, sales analysis, stock management, and actionable insights to optimize assortment, inventory, and store performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain financial plans and forecasts for sales, gross margin, inventory levels, and Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets to support commercial targets and seasonal strategies.
• Co-own the store P&L with the Retail Manager and monitor performance through regular analysis and reporting.
• Lead pre-season planning activities, including assortment planning, SKU counts, category planning, and buy quantity recommendations based on historical data and sales forecasts.
• Analyze historical sales trends, customer demand, and product performance to support data-driven decisions on assortment depth, product flow, and inventory allocation.
• Produce weekly and monthly trading reports that track sales performance, sell-through rates, inventory levels, and margin performance across all channels.
• Identify bestsellers, slow-moving items, stock gaps, and commercial risks, and recommend actions such as replenishment, transfers, or markdown strategies.
• Manage stock allocation, replenishment, and distribution across retail stores and e-commerce platforms to ensure optimal product availability and inventory productivity.
• Monitor and adjust in-season trading activities, ensuring that inventory and sales strategies are aligned with business performance and demand trends.
• Support the planning and execution of promotional campaigns, product launches, and pricing strategies.
• Collaborate closely with Merchandising, Retail Operations, and Supply Chain teams to ensure alignment on inventory flow, product availability, and commercial priorities.
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders to support business planning and improve overall retail performance.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Merchandising, Retail Management, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of experience in retail planning, merchandising analysis, or a similar role.
• Experience working in retail environments with stores and/or e-commerce channels.
• Background in apparel, sportswear, or lifestyle retail is preferred.
• Fluent English communication skills (written and spoken).

Skills:

• Strong analytical and financial planning skills.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency.
• Solid understanding of OTB planning, forecasting, and inventory management.
• Ability to analyze retail data and translate insights into actionable recommendations.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.