Supply Chain Merchandise Planner

Apply now Job no: 550378
Work type: Full time
Site: Redditch
Categories: Supply
Location: Worcestershire
Salary: c. £40,000pa plus aligned Company Benefits
Business Area: Halfords Support Centre

Job Purpose

With over 10,000 employees and 400 stores, Halfords is the UK and Eire's leading retailer in each of the key product markets in which it operates. Long-term sustainable growth is our absolute focus and in order to achieve this we need to have an elite team of Supply Chain Merchandisers on board.

Our team of Supply Chain Merchandise Planners key responsibilities are:

1. To own the sales volume forecast for specific planning groups under their control, taking input from trading teams and suppliers for new ranges, promotions and seasons.
2. To own and manage intake plans for specific planning groups within each category in line with budget expectations.
3. To influence sales & margin forecast with buyers.
4. To influence commercial decisions made with buyers and our space planning team.
5. To manage inventory to agreed stock budgets and within OTB and to agreed availability and stockturn KPI’s.
6. To develop and manage assistant merchandisers to ensure high performing teams.
7. To influence and work with the logistics team to manage end-to-end product stock flow.
8. To manage supplier relationships and performance.
9. To ensure strong communication with retail operations.

Job Context

1. The merchandising team play a pivotal role within the business, owning and generating accurate sales volume forecasts and intake plans for each product group, coordinating inputs from buyers and suppliers.
2. The role will work closely with the Trading team producing relevant information and analysis to help inform better commercial decisions.
3. Manage delivery of all merchandising KPI’s.
4. Manage regular and effective communications with suppliers.
5. Manage the planned and effective flow of product through the physical supply chain.

Key Responsibilities

1. Support and influence (with trading team / buyer) company sales & margin budget / forecast for specific planning groups.
2. Forecast all sales volume taking inputs from trading teams for promotions, new ranges and seasonality.
3. Forecast and manage stock intake plans to deliver sales.
4. To hold regular consensus meetings with buyers and external suppliers to review and update sales and intake plans.
5. Influence range improvements as part of the range review process.
6. To manage all aspects of merchandising KPI’s (DC and store availability / stock investment / Forecast accuracy / stock turn / GMROI / DC capacity).
7. Recommend and manage product group OTB.
8. Ensure range reviews are landed in store, on time and to plan.
9. Work to ensure clean exits of promotional product.
10. Work to ensure obsolete and redundant stock targets are met.
11. Manage regular supplier communications with regular meetings and forecasts.
12. Help drive multichannel improvements across specific planning groups.
13. Self-development.

Key Skills/Experience

1. Proven track record of high performance in a retail supply chain role.
2. Strongly commercial and numerate with a data and process driven approach.
3. Excellent analytical & problem-solving skills.
4. SAP / BW experience. Power BI an advantage.
5. Strong excel and data handling skills.
6. Strong verbal and written communication skills.
7. Customer obsessed.
8. A team player with strong collaboration.
9. Experience of good cross – functional working.
10. Demonstrate a high degree of tenacity and drive & an ability to thrive in a fast – paced and pressurised environment.