Durban: Merchandise Planner

Main Duties and Responsibilities are as follows: (inter alia) Item unit Planning: Overall management and utilization of inventory procurement plan by chain Track weekly sales performance and make adjustments to sales, forecast receipts and markdowns as needed Review item plans (forecasted sales and inventory) with Buyers and suppliers to ensure product availability Work with Buyers to develop consensus on forecast sales Provide Buyers with promotional forecast for input into ROI and marketing submissions Replenishment / Allocation Order and manage inventory investments according to OTB Analyze and determine allocation methods for items (Supplier to DC or Direct to Store) Maintain and execute vendor orders to ensure proper flow of product from supplier to all stores/DC Works directly with suppliers sharing orders Maintain the supplier/category ordering calendar Analyze store and DC inventory and in-stocks Collaborate with stores and marketing team to develop specific allocation segmentations Collaborates with Sales and Operation Team, Logistics Team to address supply chain and system issue Assortment Planning Work directly with Buyers to ensure that assortment plans and item eligibility directly coincide with replenishment plans Validate presentation minimums to ensure enough inventory is available to support periodic events like end caps and feature space Financial Analysis, Pricing / OTB Planning Responsible for maintaining financials including Open-to-Buy planning based on the inventory procurement plans Analyze sales data to identify key performance drives of sales performance and opportunities for expansion SKU/Product/System Management Consistently evaluate SKU count to ensure dominance of best-selling products and optimal range. Liaise with Buying team on system maintenance updates and changes, which include Marketing/ Advertising & Promotions Partner with the Buyers and Marketing team to review promotions and proofs all advertising before release Process catalogues and insert submissions on the system Track sales on advertised material and report to respective teams Communicate all promotions related activity to store teams Leadership/Talent Enhancement & Training Continuously update knowledge and skills in both technical and non-technical merchandising competencies to handle new challenges Mentor, Develop and train Order Clerks