Merchandise Planner

We are currently recruiting for a Merchandise Planner to join the Commercial team at Card Factory. As the Merchandise Planner, you will support the Merchandise Planning Manager to deliver sales, profit, and stock targets. You will be accountable for range building, financial planning, forecasting, and trading of a product area in line with departmental KPIs; ensuring that the right product, in the right quantity, is in the right place at the right time to maximise availability. You will need to be able to think on your feet and make decisions at pace to ensure delivery against key objectives. As well as strong merchandising skills, you will show a real desire to learn and grow, as well as a curiosity and ownership for the success of your category. This is a hybrid role combining some days working from home and some at our head office based in Wakefield, with great links to the M1 and free parking.

Role Responsibility

• Use data and insight to plan and implement customer-driven product ranges, in line with the commercial strategy & critical path, ensuring they deliver the optimal return per unit of space.
• Conduct periodic reviews of category & product performance, understanding how this may impact future performance and reflect risks and opportunities.
• Contribute to the weekly trade reviews and post-implementation reviews, collaborating with cross-functional teams, ensuring that they are clear on priority actions and lessons learnt.
• You’ll be responsible for your category stock, through WSSI planning, managing Open to Buy, reviewing sales and intake forecasts, approving purchase orders, promotion and markdown planning, and overseeing new range launches and clearance.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders on cross-functional activity (e.g. reviewing space and fixtures) and provide insight and measurement to support.
• Plan and prioritise inbound and outbound stock flow for your category, understanding the impact on supply, logistics, and retail teams, and communicating issues where appropriate.
• Support the business with ad-hoc data analysis where required.

The Ideal Candidate

• Merchandising experience required preferably within a non-food multi-channel retail environment.
• Ability to deliver results to target, as an individual and within a team.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-moving dynamic retail environment.
• Confidence to influence and engage, building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Organised with strong planning capabilities.

About the Company

Card Factory is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of greeting cards, dressings, and gifts with over one thousand stores across the UK and Ireland. In 2020 we launched our exciting 5-year business strategy including our vision of becoming a true Omni-channel retailer. This strategy sees significant investment into our colleagues across the business creating multiple opportunities to join a fast-paced environment and be part of our exciting journey. In return, we offer a wide range of benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial well-being.

• 25% Card Factory colleague discount in-store and online.
• Bonus opportunity.
• Financial Wellbeing Support.
• Financial Education Tools.
• Salary Advance.
• Access to blended learning and development content.
• Discounts across 100’s of UK retailers.
• Employee Assistance Programme – access to tools to support mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.

This is an exciting role with genuine prospects for the right candidate. If this role describes you and your career aspirations, click apply now. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once sufficient suitable applications have been received. We advise applying early to avoid disappointment as applications will be reviewed regularly.

Location: Century House, Brunel Road, Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate, United Kingdom.