Demand Planner

Job Objective:

 

The job holder will be responsible for merchandise planning process to achieve department /category sales, margin, stockholding and flow objectives under the guidance of Head Merchandise Planning.

 

Merchandise Financial, Strategic and Assortment Planning

 

·Maximise Sales and profitability for the department/category ·Support in determining high-level financial goals including pre-season financial plans, in-season projections, open-to-buy management and new store budgets  ·Prepare and maintain department/category merchandise MIS analytics based on actual sales, sales forecasts, company order parameters, inventory checks, forth coming events, replenishment needs etc ·Assist in the creation of merchandise plans for the category based on insights gained from merchandise analytics, customer preference, historical trends and  future outlook projected by the buyer ·Assist in discussing, deciding and freezing the department/category merchandise strategic plans around the following factors ·Financials - Sales, Stock, OTB, Margins, Forward Cover etc ·Store  -  Subgroup level Sales, Order Quantity, Allocation, Replenishment etc ·Assortment -  Style, Price, Brand, Supplier etc ·Communicate the merchandise strategic plan to buying team for necessary execution ·Ensure effective  in season management across territories (stock balancing, markdown management, stock analysis, stock vs sales performance) ·Help review the merchandise plans on a periodic basis to ensure profit is maximized and maintained to reach target levels ·Ensure that the standards of Merchandise procedures and Methodologies are maintained and kept Uniform

Inventory Stock Optimization

 

·Ensure optimum category inventory levels are maintained at Concept/Territory  keeping in mind store requirements as well as working capital constraints ·Ensure that no instances of category stock outs occur on account of any discrepancy on part of merchandise planning •     Ensure excess category inventory is not maintained at the warehouses or the stores and there is proper     adherence to the concept/territory ageing policy •

Category Promotions

 

·Provide inputs on the expected margins, possible price points and other parameters for promotions within the product category ·Help analyse the effectiveness of the promotions in achieving the targeted levels of sales and margins ·Help analyse the existing stock levels and liaise with the Buying/VM/Marketing team for timely roll out of    promotional campaigns to maintain the territory / warehouse inventory holding norms as well to achieve targeted sales ·

In season Management

·Ensure performance is monitored against plan for the assigned category/department, regularly supported by exception reporting ·Ensure effective in season management of the assigned category/department through regular analysis  and action planning across concept and territory, based on the performance around the following anchors oSales vs. Stock oInflows/ OTB oStock analysis oStock balancing oMargin analysis        

Basic Qualification / Education / Vocational Training

Graduate degree in any field with Financial is beneficial

Advanced Qualification / Certification / Specialist Training

NA

Minimum Experience

6+ years of retail experience

Specific / Relevant Experience

4+ in Retail planning

Skills and Capabilities

·Retail Knowledge, Business Acumen, Team Player ,planning and execution abilities, Excel, Oracle Planning tools

 

Deliver

 

 

Perspective

Key Result Area (KRA)

Measure

Financial

Margin & Stock Management

Achievement of target intake and realized margins at category / sub-group level

 

Number of instances of substandard margins in the category/department (attributable to non-moving stock)

Promotional Financial Planning

Promotional activity is in line with strategic financial planning

Achievement within target Markdown% (Markdown Sales : Total Retail Sales) at category levels

Customer

Pre-empt customer satisfaction based on strategic decisions

Achievement on target customer satisfaction score on product availability and range/ Internal Feedback

 

Achievement on target customer satisfaction score on price / Internal Feedback

Current Processes (Internal)

Merchandise Control

Assortment mix optimization/ incorporating (logistics/ warehouse/ stores/ suppliers & so on)

 

Coordination with Buying

Achievement of mutually agreed buying plan in coordination with buying team

"Build" for Future" (Capability)

Team engagement

Achieve target employee engagement score

 

Job Interactions

 

KEY INTERNAL INTERACTION WITH

NATURE OF INTERACTION

Projects

Store related projects

Buying Team

For alignment on concept merchandise and seasonal strategies (price/ product/ assortment/ supplier & so on)

Retail Team

For smooth implementation of merchandising initiatives in the stores

IT Team

Planning system support

Finance

For all Finance related matters

Marketing

For all Upcoming promotions/campaigns, schemes

Supply Planning/Central Planning team

Internal communication with Planning team

KEY EXTERNAL INTERACTION WITH

NATURE OF INTERACTION

Suppliers

Merchandise & Inventory Flow co-ordination

KEY Competencies 

Behavioral: A personal quality or characteristic that defines an individual’s behaviors.

Technical: Functional knowledge and skill required for the successful accomplishment of a job or task.

People Related (if applicable): A skill set that supports the ability to lead and manage teams.

Type

Competencies

Definition

B

 Communication skills

Ability to share thoughts effectively and without confusion as well as misunderstanding.

B

 Analytical skills

Being able to understand and analyze financial and non-financial reports, identify trends, and provide constructive feedback etc.

B

 Interpersonal skills

Being able to establish successful relationships based on trust and mutual respect

B

 Team player

Being a key team player, who is dependable and trusted. Able to motivate and encourage the team by understanding their challenges and providing solutions for the same. 

T

Organizing skills

Able to plan one’s activities efficiently

PR

 Relationship Building skills

Able to build positive relationships with internal and external customers.

Our journey started in 1973 with a single store in Bahrain. Since then, we have grown into a global retail and hospitality group. The proud creator of 25 plus value led, own-built brands across retail, hospitality, food, and leisure.

Over the years, our UAE - based group has evolved into a comprehensive retail and hospitality entity, with over 2200 retail stores, leisure, and hospitality outlets, panning the GCC, Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Today, Landmark Group is one of GCC's largest omnichannel retailers and India's top home and fashion retailer.

We take immense pride in the organic growth of our retail brands, which have blossomed into household names. From Max, Splash, Babyshop, Centrepoint, Shoemart, Homecentre, Emax, Fitness First, to Funcity, to name a few, our brands span across a multitude of categories, enriching the lives of countless families over the past decade.