The Merchandise Planner is a new and exciting, entrepreneurial position at Entertainment Earth. This role is an opportunity for the right candidate to join our company as a commercial leader, building forecasting and inventory planning systems from the ground up. The Merchandise Planner is responsible for developing, executing, and communicating the OTB (Open-to- buy) for both B2B and D2C segments of the business. The Merchandise Planner will develop merchandise plans and forecasts for future merchandise buys based on historical sales, receiving buys, and current inventory levels. The role helps ensure planned sales, planned gross margin, and planned markdowns are achieved in each product division. Additionally, the Merchandise Planner will identify risks to the business and develop action plans in cooperation with key stakeholders such as the SVP or Merchandising, Head of Sales, and Head of Ecommerce aimed at mitigating inventory challenges and maximizing profitability.
A day in the life as a Merchandise Planner...
Utilizes in-depth analysis of historical data and sales trends to determine Open-to-Buy (OTB) by category and SKU level for all channels of business for 10,000+ skus annually
Leads Open-to-Buy (OTB) process and develops pre-season plans in to meet company financial targets
Manage end-to-end inventory strategy for each product category including new exclusive product buys, preorders, reorders, and end-of-life markdowns
Lead monthly business review to determine actions that will optimize sales and gross margin
Develop business processes to influence future purchases and assortment strategy
Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Finance, Operations, and Purchasing
Collaborate with buyers to develop promotional strategies to maximize profitability
Recap monthly and quarterly performance compared to plan budget and last year results
Analyze sales and margin to identify opportunities and categories to divest
Provide pricing and promotional recommendations that align with department financial goals
Analyze current sales trends weekly to identify risks and opportunities by department and class.
What You'll Bring to The Table
Previous experience establishing forecasting and inventory planning systems
Strong financial acumen and experience in presenting data and analysis
Strong communication skills within the team and department; work consistency and accuracy
Proven ability to efficiently plan, organize, and multi-task to proactively respond to changing demands
Demonstrates leadership and decision-making skills
Takes calculated risks to achieve results
What we're looking for...
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
4-7 years of demand planning experience in SKU and category level forecasting for businesses that offer both wholesale distribution and direct to consumer retail.
Proficient in data analysis, modeling and report building
Expertise in Microsoft Excel; build macros and utilize formulas to streamline data from multiple sources
Start-Up and Private equity experience/exposure is preferred
Benefits of Joining the Team!
Discounts on your favorite collectibles!
Free snacks! Clock out by 1pm during Summer Fridays! Or bring your dog to the office!
401(k) matching plan, educational reimbursement and much more
Who we are:
Founded in 1996 and based in Simi Valley, California, Entertainment Earth, LLC. - entertainmentearth.com - is the preeminent pioneer and innovator in the worldwide online retail and wholesale toy, gift, and collectibles industry, offering an ever-expanding selection of tens of thousands of licensed products. Renowned for our popular website, print catalog, and groundbreaking best practices, the company has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, CNN, and a number of other newspapers and magazines. We promote a casual but professional atmosphere and offer excellent benefits.