Store Planner, Apparel & Accessories

About the Role

A store planner for domestic retail will be responsible for overseeing a team of allocation analysts and optimizing apparel inventory distribution across the USA & Canada retail network, ensuring that the right products are in the right stores at the right time to maximize sales and profitability while minimizing markdowns and/or transfers.

The store planner will regularly review sales trends and collaborate with buyers to inform allocation decisions. The store planner will also partner with the merchandise financial planning team to ensure the correct allocation strategies are used to achieve retail financial plans.

What You'll Do

• Monitor and proactively adjust store inventory by product category in response to sales performance, promotions, seasonal demands, and capacity constraints. Utilize allocation software and systems to execute distribution plans efficiently and ensure consistent replenishment of product to stores.
• Deliver a store-centric focus on inventory management by tailoring allocation strategies to individual store needs, customer profiles, and local demand patterns; inclusive of providing style expansion and contractions store list recommendations to buying team. Proactively mitigate out-of-stock situations for top styles in top-performing doors to protect sales and maximize sell-through.
• Own store-level reporting and analysis across gender and product class metrics, leveraging sales-to-inventory ratio data to diagnose imbalances and develop actionable, business-driven solutions that improve overall inventory efficiency and sales performance.
• Ensure size integrity across all stores for core apparel, monitoring size curves and replenishment patterns to prevent size imbalances that could negatively impact the customer experience and overall performance.
• Establish strong relationships with merchandising, planning, and store operations teams to ensure alignment on inventory goals and strategies. Coordinate in-season and end-of-season transfer strategies to rebalance inventory across the network, minimize markdowns, and maximize the productivity of on-hand goods. Partner with store operations and merchandising teams to execute transfers in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Participate in demand forecasting and assortment planning discussions by providing actionable insights to the buying team based on ongoing observations of geographical and cluster-level selling trends. Leverage this localized intelligence to influence and improve future buy decisions, assortment strategies, and pre-distribution plans.
• Ensure all seasonal allocations are executed accurately and on schedule to support a cohesive, brand-right in-store presentation.
• Work closely with the supply chain team and store operations team to ensure timely and accurate delivery of goods to stores, including new store and special event allocations.
• Identify opportunities to improve allocation processes and collaborate with the director of retail allocations to implement best practices. Ensure that these developments are documented and effectively communicated to the retail allocators.
• Actively coach and train retail allocators to support the growth and development of the retail allocations team.

What You'll Bring

• Advanced knowledge of retail math and inventory management principles. Familiar with retail KPIs such as sell-through, weeks of supply, and turn.
• Deep understanding of apparel allocation principles, including seasonal cadence, size integrity management, and floor set execution timelines.
• Proactive approach to identifying and solving inventory challenges, including out-of-stock mitigation for key styles and doors.
• Attention-to-detail and accuracy in data analysis and reporting.
• Strong work-ethic and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with an ability to summarize complex ideas concisely and communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Excels in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in retail allocation, inventory management, or similar role.
• Proven track record of building, managing, and mentoring talent, driving measurable improvements in team performance and employee development.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to think strategically.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively across departments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with allocation software (e.g., O9, Blue Yonder, Oracle Retail).
• Experience in footwear retail is preferred but not required.

Pay and benefits

The pay range for this role is $80,000-$100,000/yr USD.

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