What are the job roles of a merchandise planner in garment retailing?

Image Credit: Pexel.com by Sam Lion

A merchandise planner helps businesses to maximize sales and profitability by providing effective merchandise strategies, planning, and season management of assortments and inventory. 

When it comes to knowing the core job responsibilities of a merchandise planner, one should know the overall job roles. This article has listed the main job responsibilities of this position. 

Main Job responsibilities

1. To plan and manage assortments /inventory within a departmental team to support the buying Teams 
2. To Support the business planning calendar in conjunction with all concerned to ensure that planning activities happen timorously to support Dept lead times.
3. Ensure that strategies and plans are presented to the Planning Manager/ Concept Director for approval.
4. Communication of Strategies and plans to Territories for implementation.
5. To ensure that performance is monitored against plan regularly supported by adequate merchandise performance reporting.
6. Ensure that actions are taken on on deviations to plan to effectively manage merchandise assortments/inventory during the season to meet or exceed the strategic targets set by the business with effective communication to all involved.
7. Ensure that weekly Departmental meetings are held with the Buyers to discuss department performance /action plans, OTB/Orders, Deliveries, and priorities for the week.
8. Ensure that monthly trading meetings are held by dept with the concept director and management team.
9. To ensure that the standards of merchandise procedures and methodologies are maintained and kept uniform in the department
10. To ensure that trainee planners are motivated and developed to support the business objectives.

The job roles of the merchandise planned included the above but were not limited to these only.  Depending on the business structure, business volume, and the team, there can be additional jobs responsibilities.