We are currently recruiting for a Merchandise Planner to join the Commercial team at cardfactory. As the Merchandise Planner, you will support the Merchandise Planning Manager to deliver sales, profit and stock targets. You will be accountable for range building, financial planning, forecasting, and trading of a product area in line with departmental KPIs; ensuring that the right product, in the right quantity, is in the right place at the right time to maximise availability.You will need to be able to think on your feet and make decisions at pace to ensure delivery against key objectives. As well as strong merchandising skills, you will show a real desire to learn and grow, as well as a curiosity and ownership for the success of your category.This is a hybrid role combining some days working from home and some at our head office based in Wakefield, with great links to the M1 and free parking. Use data and insight to plan and implement customer-driven product ranges, in line with the commercial strategy & critical path, ensuring they deliver the optimal return per unit of space Conduct periodic reviews of category & product performance, understanding how this may impact future performance and reflect risks and opportunitiesContribute to the weekly trade reviews and post-implementation reviews, collaborating with cross functional teams, ensuring that they are clear on priority actions and lessons learntYou’ll be responsible for your category stock, through WSSI planning, managing Open to Buy, reviewing sales and intake forecasts, approving purchase orders, promotion and markdown planning, and overseeing new range launches and clearanceCollaborate with key stakeholders on cross-functional activity (e.g. reviewing space and fixtures) and provide insight and measurement to supportPlan and prioritise inbound and outbound stock flow for your category, understanding the impact on supply, logistics and retail teams and communicating issues where appropriateSupport the business with ad-hoc data analysis where required Merchandising experience required preferably within a non-food multi-channel retail environmentAbility to deliver results to target, as an individual and within a teamAbility to work under pressure in a fast-moving dynamic retail environmentConfidence to influence and engage, building relationships with key stakeholdersOrganised with strong planning capabilities
