Description:
Planning, Forecasting, Trading
- Take ownership and responsibility for assigned Collections / Categories.
- Work with Buying - Product Team on assortment / option planning – support the decision-making process with historical analysis / findings.
- Ensure Range Plan is balanced – product type, colour, choice and mix of continuity, repeat / new products.
- Commercial awareness of competitors and potential new product opportunities.
- Forecast sales, stock, cover, intake, OTB at style, colour, size level to meet sales targets. Check back to ensure planned stock mixes by product type are close to target sales mixes and that forecast intake is within target OTB, intake, stock parameters.
- Maintaining and actualising forecasts on MS Excel and adjusting, maintaining formulas as required.
- Identify risk / opportunities - discusses any significant proposed amendments to overall sales numbers, mixes and intake plans with Line Manager.
- Regularly update all forecasts, as detailed above and update associated Production Plans for suppliers.
- Produce new Purchase Order quantities at style, collection, size level giving Logistics time to prepare POs before PO placement deadline dates. Ensure all PO quantities meet supplier Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) criteria - adjust phasing and or quantities accordingly to meet MOQs if necessary, or flag issues where MOQs cannot be met, even with minimal amends.
- Ensures all POs are placed in a timely manner in-line with suppliers’ deadlines dates, the critical path.
- Update Collection, Category Level Category Cards regularly. Monitor impact at total Company Level and discuss any significant changes with Line Manager.
Analysis
- Monday Trade Reporting: update Monday trading analysis, provides written summary of key points.
- Analyse sales data to identify trends, opportunities, risks. Make appropriate recommendations and or adjust future planned stocks accordingly.
- Produce sales analysis for Buyer - Product Team - Line Manager: at Collection, Product Type, Style, Size level as required. Highlighting best/ worst sellers, styles trending up/ down, potential opportunities/ risks.
- Review market level performance quarterly (i.e. by country), to identify any significant market differences.
- Confidently present analysis, findings to Line Manager/ Buyer/ Product Team.
Admin Support
- Keep Delivery Schedule up-to-date on MS Excel for their assigned Collections, Categories – adding new POs and or making amendments, when necessary.
- Prepare PO upload sheets for Buyer and Logistics, provide quantities at Style, Collection, Size level by ex-date and freight method.
- Complete EAN create upload sheets
- Maintain Masterfile for all newly created EANs / SKUs for their assigned Collections, Categories
Collaboratively Work
- Communicate, meet regularly with the Buyer - Product Team: make everyone fully aware of any Critical Path deadline dates and issues, range or product changes and latest launch dates.
- Work with the Go-To-Market Team to identify which products will be the key drivers of future marketing plans, prior to placing POs. Plan new product PO quantities appropriately to maximise sales and profit opportunities.
- Produce Best-Worst-Analysis for the wider business, keeping them informed and to support future strategic planning.
- Work closely with Logistics: produce PO upload, amendment requests in a timely manner, detail PO shipment priorities, required Distribution Centre/ Warehouse intake dates – in order to meet planned new product launch dates & to optimise stock levels on continuity products.
- Build strong relationships with Suppliers, ensuring they have up-to-date Product Plans and POs are placed on time. Communicating any required PO amendments asap.
- Propose any further analysis to Business Analyst, e.g., basket analysis to further understand sales opportunities, customer purchasing habits.
YOUR PROFILE:
- Strong merchandising background. A proven track record in Merchandising within a fast-paced, rapidly changing global business.
- Passionate about product, including an awareness of competitors.
- Show a great understanding of the Women’s Best customer and customer segmentation: you reflect this in your decisions.
- Show strong awareness of current trends, market conditions and opportunities within a Global context.
- You are highly logical, analytical and have a strong attention to detail.
- Hard working, self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative.
- Able to manage a high workload, re-prioritising tasks as required to meet deadlines.
- Experience of forecasting a high volume of continuity-based products on MS Excel – you need to be an advanced user of Excel.
- Knowledge of Power BI.
- You have got the hunger for hitting the numbers and are happy to talk to about them.
- Commercially savvy with strong judgement, drive and influence.
- Calm temperament under pressure and adaptable.