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Lids · 2 weeks ago

Associate Merchandise Planner

Indianapolis, IN

Full-time

Onsite

Entry, Mid Level

1+ years exp

Lids is a leading retailer providing emblematic apparel and merchandise for college bookstores across North America. The Associate Merchandise Planner will be responsible for building financial sales, gross margin, and inventory plans, partnering with the Buying & Merchandising group to maximize sales and profits through effective strategies and communication.

ApparelFashionLifestyleRetailSports

Responsibilities

Coordinate the development of annual, seasonal, monthly & weekly merchandise plans

Construct merchandise purchase schedules; initial product deliveries and in-season merchandise flow

Manage monthly department level open to buy activities

Provide expert analysis on trends and recommendation to influence cancellations, future purchases, and assortment strategies

Analyze historic performance to identify areas of opportunity or risk

Prepare preseason promotional and markdown strategy through partnership with buyer and merchandising

Develop, maintain, and update set of tools & reports to support the needs of the business

Establish appropriate process & tools to review product assortments; providing data & analysis to support decision making

Maintain business processes and serve as subject matter expert for process improvements

Partner with allocation & supply chain teams to implement consistent and profitable in-season replenishment strategies and practices

Develop enterprise wide risk mitigation plans and execute when appropriate

Test multiple business strategies simultaneously, quantifying & communicating business impacts

Manage sku intensive businesses

Manage location intensive assortments

Deliver local, regionally relevant assortments and business solutions

Manage multiple channels & banners that Lids Sports Group operates under

Communicate effectively, and at times persuasively, with employees at all levels of the company

Support and adhere to all company policies, procedures, and guidelines

Qualification

Retail MathAnalytic SkillsFinancial AcumenMicrosoft ExcelMerchandising ExperiencePlanning SkillsPresentation SkillsRelationship ManagementRisk ManagementProcess ManagementInfluencing SkillsProblem Solving

Required

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising or a related field

1-4 years merchandising, planning, buying, or equivalent experience preferred

Strong understanding of retail math and measure used in financial reporting

Proven ability to perform independently with minimal supervision

Ability to operate a computer and maneuver relative software programs

Analytic Skills: Ability to think objectively and interpret meaningful themes from quantitative and qualitative data

Financial and Business Acumen: Ability to evaluate financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable information to drive results

Problem Solving & Decision Quality: Able to use rigorous logic and methods to solve problems with effective solutions

Preferred

Relationship Management: Able to build constructive and effective relationships with a broad and diverse group of business partners, both internally & externally

Dealing with Paradox: Ability to balance conflicting & competing priorities. Delivering a set of options, detailing impacts for each while driving to a single recommendation

Presentation Skills: Effective in a variety of presentation settings including one-on-one, small and large groups, and with peers and Executives

Influencing and Negotiation: Can present ideas and directions that lead others to action

Planning and Priority Setting: Demonstrate an ability to set objectives and goals and organize work appropriately to meet and exceed goals

Process Management: Can identify and articulate the processes necessary to get things down efficiently and align resources effectively complete activities

Systems and Tools Acumen: Advanced capabilities in Microsoft Excel, Proficiency in Microsoft Access, Powerpoint and Word. Must also have aptitude to learn technical applications quickly

Risk Management: Anticipate risks and identifies contingency plans and processes to prevent disruptions when risks occur