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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team to manage stock and drive sales in a fast-paced retail environment.
- Company: Join Halfords, a leading retailer dedicated to motoring and cycling innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, hybrid working, and generous leave plus employee discounts.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of inclusion and continuous personal development at Halfords.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on product availability and customer satisfaction while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Retail supply chain experience, strong analytical skills, and a passion for teamwork.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
About us
At Halfords, our mission is to inspire and support a lifetime of motoring and cycling. As a specialist retailer, we lead the market through customer-driven innovation and a distinct product range. We are dedicated to providing our customers with an integrated, unique, and convenient service experience—from e-bike and electric vehicle servicing to on-demand solutions. Our commitment is to foster customer loyalty by offering compelling reasons to keep coming back to our stores, ensuring a lifetime of motoring and cycling enjoyment. The teams at our Redditch Support Centre work with every other area of our business, putting them at the heart of the action and playing a key role in our success and growth.
The role
As a Senior Merchandise Planner you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring we have the right products, in the right place, at the right time across both stores and online. Working in partnership with Buyers, Marketing, Store Development, Digital, Operations and suppliers, you’ll take ownership of a key concept group within the Outdoor Leisure pillar, managing stock, forecasting sales and influencing commercial decisions that drive sales and margin performance. Alongside managing your own area, you’ll lead and develop a merchandising team, coaching and supporting them to deliver a right-first-time approach in a fast-paced retail environment. You’ll be accountable for Open to Buy and inventory performance across your area, playing a key role in range reviews, promotions and seasonal planning. This is a highly collaborative role where you’ll work cross-functionally to ensure plans land in store and online on time, stock flows smoothly through the supply chain, and performance stays on track against KPI’s.
Key responsibilities
- Lead and develop the Merchandise Planning Team within your category pillar ensuring a culture of continuous improvement and proactive development to enable a high performing merchandise Planning Team.
- Work along other Senior Merchandise Planners to ensure we are continually driving cross category improvements.
- Manage a Key category within your pillar.
- Manage inventory stock budgets within OTB and to agreed availability and stockturn KPI’s.
- Own the sales volume forecast for specific categories under your control, taking input from trading teams and suppliers for new ranges, promotions and seasons.
- Own and manage intake plans in line with budget expectations.
- Influence sales and margin forecasts with buyers.
- Influence commercial decisions made with buyers and our space planning team.
- Help drive multichannel improvements.
- Ensure promotions and range reviews are landed in store, on time and to plan.
- Work to ensure clean exits of promotional product.
- Work to ensure obsolete and redundant stock targets are met.
- Influence and work with the logistics team to manage end-to-end product stock flow.
- Manage regular supplier communications with regular meetings and forecasts.
- Manage supplier relationships and performance.
- Ensure strong communication with retail operations.
About you
A highly motivated, experienced individual with a passion for retail who will thrive in a fast-paced and pressurised environment. Proven track record of high performance in a retail supply chain role. Customer obsessed. Excellent analytical, problem solving and commercial skills. SAP / BW experience. Power BI an advantage. Strong excel and data handling skills. A proven team player demonstrating the ability to work cross functionally within a business. Be able to communicate confidently & concisely to all levels within the business. Strong negotiation skills.
Reward & benefits
A fair and competitive salary evaluated against market data, annual discretionary bonus scheme, pension, life assurance, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave. Commitment and dedication to your ongoing personal and professional development. We help you to own and grow your potential so you can be at your best in your current role and to support your future career aspirations. We offer hybrid working with a blend of working in our Support Centre and from home. You will have access to a wealth of employee discounts across the Halfords suite of products and services. Wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of our colleague experience. We offer resources and ongoing support to enhance your wellbeing at work and active Colleague Networks supporting inclusion initiatives across Halfords.
Not sure you meet all the criteria? We'd encourage you to take the wheel and apply anyway! At Halfords we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for our colleagues. We're an equal opportunities employer and proud to welcome applications from all backgrounds and embrace diversity within our one Halfords Family.
Note: Halfords operates a hybrid working policy – this position will be based 3 days per week at our support centre in Redditch, West Midlands.
Senior Merchandise Planner employer: Halfords Careers
Contact Detail:
Halfords Careers Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Merchandise Planner
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Halfords on LinkedIn. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by knowing your stuff! Research Halfords' latest products and initiatives. Show them you're not just another candidate but someone who genuinely cares about their mission and values.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your STAR technique for answering behavioural questions. Think of specific examples from your past that showcase your skills in merchandising and teamwork. This will help you stand out during the interview.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and shows your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Merchandise Planner
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Retail: When you're writing your application, let your love for retail shine through! Share specific examples of how you've thrived in fast-paced environments and how you’ve contributed to team success. We want to see that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely care about the industry.
Be Data-Driven: Since this role involves a lot of forecasting and inventory management, make sure to highlight your analytical skills. Mention any experience you have with tools like SAP or Power BI, and don’t forget to include any relevant data handling skills. Numbers tell a story, so let them speak for you!
Tailor Your Application: Take the time to customise your application for the Senior Merchandise Planner role. Use keywords from the job description and relate your past experiences to the responsibilities listed. This shows us that you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in the position.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands. Plus, it gives you a chance to explore more about Halfords and what we stand for. So, go ahead and take that step!
How to prepare for a job interview at Halfords Careers
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Senior Merchandise Planner, you'll need to demonstrate your analytical skills. Brush up on key metrics like sales forecasts, inventory turnover, and Open to Buy (OTB) budgets. Be ready to discuss how you've used data to influence commercial decisions in the past.
✨Showcase Your Team Leadership
This role involves leading a merchandising team, so be prepared to share examples of how you've developed and motivated teams in previous positions. Highlight your coaching style and any successful projects where you fostered a culture of continuous improvement.
✨Understand Cross-Functional Collaboration
Halfords values teamwork across various departments. Familiarise yourself with how merchandising interacts with buying, marketing, and logistics. Prepare to discuss how you've successfully collaborated with different teams to achieve common goals.
✨Be Customer Obsessed
The job description emphasises a customer-centric approach. Think of specific instances where you've put the customer first in your planning and decision-making. Show that you understand the importance of customer loyalty and how it drives business success.