About this role
Key Responsibilities Merchandise & Sales Planning
• Develop seasonal, monthly, and weekly merchandise plans in line with Nysaa's sales and commercial objectives. • Prepare sales, stock, intake, and inventory forecasts by category, brand, store, and channel. • Analyze historical sales trends, market trends, seasonality, and promotional activity to support merchandise planning. • Monitor performance against budget, forecast, and business targets and recommend corrective actions. • Support the development of assortment and range plans based on customer demand and commercial performance. Inventory & Stock Management
• Maintain optimal inventory levels and ensure effective stock availability across stores. • Monitor stock cover, sell-through, stock turn, ageing, and availability. • Identify overstock, understock, slow-moving, and non-performing products and recommend appropriate actions. • Work closely with Supply Chain and Operations on replenishment and stock allocation. • Develop and maintain store-level allocation and replenishment plans. • Support new store openings by preparing initial stock and assortment requirements. Open-to-Buy (OTB) & Financial Planning
• Manage and monitor the Open-to-Buy (OTB) plan in coordination with the Merchandising and Finance teams. • Track planned versus actual sales, purchases, stock levels, and inventory commitments. • Provide recommendations on future purchases based on sales performance and available inventory budget. • Support markdown and clearance planning to optimize inventory and minimize aged stock. Reporting & Analysis
• Prepare regular trading and merchandise performance reports. • Analyze key KPIs including: • Sales and sales growth • Sell-through % • Stock turn • Stock cover • Gross margin • Average selling price • Inventory ageing • Availability / out-of-stock % • Markdown performance
• Highlight key business risks and opportunities and provide actionable recommendations to management. • Maintain accurate merchandise planning and reporting data. Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Buyers to translate category and brand strategies into commercially viable merchandise plans. • Work closely with Retail Operations to understand store-level performance and stock requirements. • Coordinate with Marketing on promotions, launches, campaigns, and seasonal activities. • Collaborate with Supply Chain to ensure timely stock availability and replenishment. • Work with Finance to align merchandise plans with budgets and financial targets. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Sales achievement vs. budget • Forecast accuracy • Inventory turnover • Sell-through % • Stock availability • Stock cover • Gross margin achievement • Reduction of aged and slow-moving inventory • OTB accuracy and control • Replenishment effectiveness Qualifications & Experience
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Retail Management, Supply Chain, Merchandising, or a related field. • 3–5 years of experience in merchandise planning, retail planning, commercial planning, or a similar role. • Experience within beauty, cosmetics, fashion, or specialty retail is preferred. • Strong experience in sales forecasting, inventory planning, replenishment, and commercial analysis. • Experience working with multiple brands, categories, and retail locations is an advantage. Technical Skills
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables, XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP, SUMIFS, and data analysis. • Strong understanding of retail planning and merchandise KPIs. • Experience with ERP, merchandising, BI, or planning systems. • Strong analytical and numerical skills. • Ability to interpret large datasets and convert insights into commercial actions. Competencies
• Analytical thinking • Commercial acumen • Planning and organization • Attention to detail • Problem-solving • Stakeholder management • Communication and collaboration • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines • Proactive and results-oriented approach • Strong understanding of customer and market trends