Merchandise Analyst - Allocation

A developmental position which provides the opportunity to learn and master the skills and qualities required of a Merchandise Analyst. Being the entry level position in Allocation, duties and responsibilities are allocating merchandise in a manner that supports the achievement of the company’s sales, turn and margin objectives, but may be performed with supervision from senior members of the team.

• Allocate inbound merchandise and DC inventory based upon sales performance, trends, lost sales opportunities, and specific merchant category strategies. Maintain inventory balance by store across the chain.
• Coordinate with buyer and planner to ensure stores have appropriate minimum quantities to both present the product correctly and support advertising.
• Ensure new stores are allocated the correct assortment and inventory levels to support the category sales plan and any unique store characteristics.
• Provide observations, conclusions and recommendations to the buyer, planner, and director, based on comparing actual results to the forecast, for the purpose of improving future allocation strategies.
• Achieve annual sales dollar and inventory turn targets for assigned product areas at chain level.
• Actively collaborate and communicate with the cross-functional team to meet goals, complete tasks and solve problems. Demonstrate strong analytical skills and the ability to recognize trends and prioritize workload.
• Support buyers and planners with any requested ad hoc analysis, with a focus on providing data-driven observations, conclusions and recommendations.

• One to two years of retail, business analysis or business planning experience.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong analytical and evaluative skills, including the ability to prioritize, recognize trends and problem solve.
• System capable in spreadsheet, word processing, analytical and data warehouse tools.
• Capable of learning new processes and tools quickly.
• Capable of achieving business results through cross-functional team-work.