Assistant Merchandise Planner

Our client is a family run business, with an amazing product and a customer centric approach.  They have stores in the UK and a rapidly growing online, International and concessions business. They really care about people, customers, and the communities in which they trade and are now looking for a Merchandise Planning Assistant.  The role will be hybrid, with three days per week based out of their Amersham Head office, and two days per week working from home. 

As their Merchandise Planning Assistant, you’ll assist the Merchandiser in all trading and planning requirements for their International partnership channels. You will need to work collaboratively with Buying, Merchandising, Branch Merchandising teams and our external partnerships. You will be a self-starter with a strong interest in retail and the drive to working in a fast paced commercially driven environment.  Able to work at pace cross functionally, be highly analytical, super organised and possess strong multitasking skills with the ability to manage multiple conflicting priorities concurrently. You will be a strong communicator, a great team player with a natural flair for building key relationships.

Merchandise Planning Assistant – Responsibilities

- Assist Merchandiser in all aspects to drive trade and the delivery of all relevant KPI’s – Sales, Ranging, Profitability and stock availability.

- Review weekly and in-season trade at SKU level including best and worst sellers.

- Review and optimise sales utilising key channel trade reports and identify risk and opportunities with proposed actions to the Merchandiser.

- Ranging, actioning system ranging and deranging for partnerships.

- Create seasonal/promotional planograms with a commercial lens.

- Work collaboratively with Pricing Manager in all aspects of price changes.

- Assist Merchandiser/Promotions Manager with collating all data for range and space planning.

- Attend key trading and seasonal planning meetings, sharing key analysis.

- WSSI and Line Cards, Review and work with Branch Merchandising and propose trading alternatives for sign off by Merchandiser.

- Build relationships and work collaboratively with Marketing, Retail Operations and Branch Merchandising to agreed promotional and trading plan.

- Instigate and produce seasonal and ad hoc analysis that can assist the Merchandiser with commercial decisions.

Merchandise Planning Assistant – Required Skills

- Advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.

- Previous retail head office experience at an admin or merchandising assistant planner level would be advantageous.

- Strong analytical skills and able to interpret data and make sound commercial decisions.

- A natural ability to build relationships, influence & manage relationships in a cross functional role.

- Natural interest and curiosity in Head Office trading.

- Resilience and the ability to deliver under pressure with a solution focused attitude.

- Experience in analysis of high volumes of data in a commercial environment.

The Merchandise Planning Assistant role offers the chance to add immediate value with your skillset in a rapidly growing and evolving business.  The position come with a competitive base salary, profit bonus of up to 15%, virtual GP and Brand & Partner discounts.  There will be future career opportunities, in line with company growth. 

If you would enjoy being part of our clients on-going success-story, then apply now to be considered for their Merchandise Planning Assistant role.