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. Hybrid - three days onsite.
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!
- Medical/Dental/Vision Plans/Additional Optional Plans
- Paid Time Off plus Holidays
- 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.