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Merchandise planner skills for your resume and career
15 merchandise planner skills for your resume and career
1. Gross Margin
- Recommended and executed different pricing strategies based on inventory position to liquidate inventory with the highest gross margin return.
- Perform monthly inventory reporting package with cost variance analysis and reporting related to gross margin and inventory aging.
2. Strong Analytical
- Utilized strong analytical skills to develop seasonal financial strategies and inventory turn opportunities.
- Showcased strong analytical skills to resolve backlogged orders in SAP.
3. Math
- Train incoming assistant buyers on retail math and MS excel
- Used analytical, math and negotiating skills to make informed decisions in the buying process.
4. Historical Data
In a large context, historical data is the total collected data about all/some past events and circumstances about a particular field. Historical data comprises data that is generated either automatically or manually within a given enterprise. This data is used to study and understand correlations, trends, patterns, and other statistical relationships that drive insight into the performance of a business. Historical data has two sub-categories called descriptive and diagnostic data. Descriptive data aims at explaining WHAT is happening while diagnostic data focuses on explaining the WHY behind it.
- Monitor store capacity and analyze historical data and current trends to mitigate risks and identify opportunities for profitable growth.
- Develop seasonal buys by analyzing historical data and current trends to identify risks and opportunities to our assortment.
5. Open-To-Buy
Open-To-Buy (OTB) is an inventory management system that works in association with a retail business. OTB determines the amount of merchandise a retail store can buy during a stated period. It defines the amount of inventory that is needed to meet customer demand and which you can buy while still ensuring positive cash flow. Open-To-Buy planning is necessary to ensure adequate stock for the business. It is essentially the difference between how much inventory is available and how much inventory is needed to meet customer demand.
- Maximized sales by identifying top sellers and initiating reorders to support the trend within open-to-buy parameters while optimizing inventory position.
- Produced and maintained financial departmental reporting, including weekly open-to-buy, margin planning, markdown and inventory budgets.
6. Apparel
Apparel is anything worn especially formal clothes; outerwear; garments; attire; raiment worn on an important occasion to protect, wrap, adorn or beautify the body. Apparel also refers to clothing of a specific type that is sold in stores. Product categories include everything from basic items like underwear, badges, jewelry to luxury items. The general classification of clothing is as follows: men's wear, women's wear, children's wear, and others.
- Managed product flow in apparel category; determining order quantities and generating purchase orders for new and replenishment orders.
- Developed financial plans for multiple categories in fashion and licensed apparel and accessories.
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- Analyzed data to identify risks, inter-branding cannibalization and competitive trending.
- Identify risks and opportunities for achieving receipt plan and end-of-season stock plan and escalate to leadership as needed.
8. Recap
- Analyze and recap sales results and inventory forecasts and presented business recaps to senior management at quarterly update meetings.
- Represented international business at weekly trade meeting, presenting business recap and future strategies to executive committee.
9. Financial Objectives
Financial objectives are a company's financial goals and aims regarding the future. These objectives are determined and achieved through financial planning. Corporations normally set milestones for the fiscal year and build strategies and plan to fulfill those milestones.
- Constructed division/category/key item plans and forecasts to meet financial objectives and maximize profit and growth.
- Lead weekly/monthly financial reviews with upper management to ensure in-season financial objectives are being met.
10. Inventory Management
- Performed research and analysis to determine appropriate customer segmentation, sizing, and drive inventory management.
- Developed inventory management analysis in Finished Fashion category resulting in a +5.5% sales increase.
11. Inventory Productivity
- Directed European leather planners on buying, planning and allocation best practices to advance their inventory productivity and profitability.
- Developed promotional assortment plans to enhance sales, margin, and inventory productivity.
12. Kids
- Developed and implemented markdown strategies for six departments to help Talbot's Kids division attain financial goals and objectives.
- Developed financial plans for 3 Kids departments by class, week, month and season.
13. Financial Targets
- Developed seasonal financial targets by department/vendor/class and employed daily and weekly financial projections to meet fiscal goals.
- Created and maintained sales, inventory and margin plans that tied to financial targets.
14. Business Trends
- Analyzed business trends and seasonal shifts to project promotional sales and plan inventory accordingly.
- Analyzed current-business trends and adjusted pricing to maintain healthy-inventory levels and reach margin goals.
15. Business Performance
Business performance is the act of setting and reviewing corporate goals, observing the methods used to accomplish those goals, and then devising ways for administrators to more efficiently accomplish those goals. By collecting and interpreting data, a business can determine what influences managerial changes had on performance and then modify those settings to help create a more productive process.
- Prepare weekly reports and analyze business performance to identify potential department risks and opportunities.
- Analyzed business performance and recommended financial changes to ensure financial parameters were achieved.
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List of merchandise planner skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a merchandise planner resume and required skills for a merchandise planner to have include:
- Gross Margin
- Strong Analytical
- Math
- Historical Data
- Open-To-Buy
- Apparel
- Identify Risks
- Recap
- Financial Objectives
- Inventory Management
- Inventory Productivity
- Kids
- Financial Targets
- Business Trends
- Business Performance
- OTB
- E-Commerce
- Receipt Flow
- JDA
- Historical Performance
- Product Categories
- In-Season Sales
- Product Flow
- Markdown Strategies
- Macro
- Sales Performance
- Sales Plan
- Direct Reports
- Retail Store
- Product Assortment
- Inventory Flow
- Market Trends
- Promotional Strategies
- Allocation Strategies
- Store Operations
- ROI
- IMU
- Level Planning
- Exit Strategies
- Financial Strategies
- Sales Forecasts
- Inventory Monitoring
- Sales History
- DMM
- Gross Profit
- Financial Sales
- Store Sales
- Jewelry
- Level Analysis
Updated January 8, 2025