Senior Merchandise Planner for @Home at TFG
The Foschini Group
Overview
TFG is looking for a Senior Merchandise Planner to join the @Home team. You will mentor junior planners, drive planning performance for the Kitchen category, and shape merchandise strategy using data led decisions. This is a great opportunity if you have at least 5 years of retail planning experience and want to grow with one of South Africa's biggest retail groups.
About the role
As a Senior Planner for @Home, you will take the lead on merchandise planning for the Kitchen category while mentoring and supporting the wider planning team. You will work closely with Buying, Sourcing and Supply Chain to make sure the right stock lands in the right stores at the right time.
What you can expect to do:
- Guide and coach team members to build a strong planning culture
- Develop category financial plans across sales, stock, margin, GP and markdowns
- Forecast future sales and manage in season and forward budgets
- Analyse SKU, stock and sales performance to spot risks and opportunities
- Manage range assortments, replenishment and distribution strategies
- Support planning for imported ranges and drive local sourcing initiatives
- Do store visits and work with field teams to improve trading execution
Application note: TFG gives preference to candidates from designated groups in line with the Employment Equity Act. Make sure your CV clearly shows your retail planning experience and your relevant qualification.
Requirements
- Minimum completed National Diploma or Degree in Business Management, BCom or a related field, with majors in Finance, Statistics, Economics or Mathematics
- At least 5 years of proven Merchandise Planning experience in a retail environment
- Strong numerical, analytical and strategic thinking abilities
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
- Strong commercial acumen, a trader mentality and proven inventory management capability
- Experience planning in Apparel, Fashion or General Merchandise retail would be an advantage
- Strong communication and relationship building skills with internal teams and suppliers
Responsibilities
- Mentor the Merchandise Planning Team through guidance, coaching and support
- Influence and implement merchandise strategy, developing and managing category financial plans across sales, stock, margin, GP, PIS, closing stock and markdown
- Develop category strategic, tactical and operational plans to hit sales, profit, inventory and stock turn targets
- Drive planning performance across the Kitchen category using data led decision making and commercial analysis
- Project future sales and manage forecasting to optimise inventory investment, stock levels and sales performance
- Manage OTB allowance across in season and forward budgets
- Analyse sales, stock and SKU performance to find trends, opportunities and risks, and implement corrective actions
- Identify business risks like overselling, underselling, overstock and margin pressure, and take action to mitigate them
- Drive stock optimisation, inventory productivity and SKU performance across the category
- Manage range assortments, replenishment and distribution strategies
- Support planning and management of imported product ranges for effective stock flow and availability
- Partner with Buying, Sourcing, Supply Chain and suppliers to optimise assortment, stock flow, availability and profitability
- Drive local sourcing, supplier stockholding and packaging initiatives to improve supply chain and distribution centre efficiencies
- Compile, analyse and present reports and performance insights to support decision making
- Contribute to category growth through proactive trading insights, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement
- Manage stock fulfilment through the Distribution Centre
- Conduct regular store visits and keep communication with stores and field teams to support trading execution
Job details
- Organisation
- The Foschini Group
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Senior (5+ years)
- Education
- Diploma
- Category
- Retail & Wholesale
- Application Method
- Apply online
Success Guide
If you are going for this Senior Planner role at TFG, your CV needs to show real numbers. Hiring managers in retail planning want to see how you have managed stock, forecasted sales and improved margins in previous roles. Be ready to talk through a category you have planned and what results you achieved.
In the interview, expect questions about how you handle overstock or understock situations and how you work with buyers and suppliers. Brush up on your Excel skills because they may test your ability to work with large data sets. Also prepare examples of how you have mentored junior team members, since this role is big on coaching.
Make sure your qualification certificate is ready to upload when you apply online.
How we help you prepare
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