Merchandise Planner
Company: Variety Wholesalers Inc
Location: Westerville
Posted on: February 14, 2026
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Job Description:
Job Description Job Description Essential Duties and
Responsibilities Formulates seasonal, merchandise plans at
department and class levels, in partnership with buyer, balancing
the mix of close-out vs. non close-out business. Formulates
subclass/sku level plans, as needed. Evaluates plans on a rolling
review schedule and develops recommendations for changes, as
appropriate. Changes plans, as agreed upon. Develops sales,
inventory and margin forecasts at department and class levels.
Analyzes performance and provides observations, conclusions and
recommendations for changes. Revises forecasts, as needed in
partnership with buyer. Presents logic/strategies in Forecast
Meetings Formulates and manages Subclass/SKU level merchandise
forecasts through development of ladder plans and analysis to
assist with higher level strategies and forecasting. Reviews
open-to-buy. Analyzes receipt timing and recommends additional
purchases or cancellations based on sales and inventory plans,
trends and forecasts. Develops promotional forecasts and
recommendations while working with buying and allocation to ensure
execution of promotional strategies. Develops assortment plans to
achieve plan goals and insure proper inventory balance of the
overall assortment and store inventory. Conducts periodic reviews
of seasonal and aged inventories. Recommends promotional strategies
and markdown strategies to liquidate inventories most profitably.
Actively manages the business by identifying opportunities to
exploit sales and margin opportunities. Partners with buyer and
allocation analyst to develop execution tactics. Develops and
presents analyses to assess strategy and business performance which
include observations, conclusions and recommendations. Develops and
maintains a positive relationship with planning, merchandise,
allocation, replenishment and marketing team members through a
collaborative team atmosphere and active communication. Promotes
the development of the planning department through the active use
of tools, the sharing of best practices and providing suggestions
for improvement. Travels to stores to understand the impact of
planned merchandise strategies and to stay informed of business and
customer trends. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Bachelors Degree
required. Minimum of three years of Merchandise Planning experience
required. Demonstrated strong retail math skills and strong
analytical skills required. Demonstrated business development
skills and sound judgment. Strong organizational skills required.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, required.
Strong interpersonal skills and leadership skills required. System
savvy with spreadsheet, word processing, and data analysis tools
required. Capable of learning new processes and tools quickly.
Keywords: Variety Wholesalers Inc, Kettering , Merchandise Planner, Sales , Westerville, Ohio
