Demand Planner

The Demand Planner position plays a key role in successfully attaining the company’s overall sales and profit goals through developing sales demand plans and stock plans at the item and voyage level. Ensures these plans maximize sales and stock productivity while maintaining a compelling merchandise presentation at the voyage level. Works in collaboration with the Planning and Merchant team as well as Cruise Line Retail to achieve financial objectives areas of responsibility.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Location Supply Chain Management:

• Develop sales demand forecasts by style and location/voyage along with various stock variables such as method of replenishment, safety stock voyages-of-supply, vendor lead times, etc. in TXT demand planning system to yield an inventory/receipt plan, maximizing inventory productivity by location to achieve desired financial sales, profit and cash objectives
• Analyze and develop forecast data by reviewing historical sales trends and researching demand drivers
• Collaborate with Planning, Merchandising, and Cruise Line Retail teams on promotional events/products to ensure alignment, delivering maximum sales potential
• Recommend adjustments to allocations/order by reviewing systems regularly
• Drive sales through focusing on best sellers via weekly analysis and monitoring of style/location in-stock variable/rates; partner with Planning Manager on opportunities to increase/decrease buy to maximize productivity and meet sales goals while maintaining quality of inventory
• Analyze projected ship inventory and receipt flow overtime to determine where adjustments are needed to optimize product flow in the most cost-effective manner
• Evaluate all reporting including potential lost sales, overstocks, gaps to brand/program display capacity, projected storage concerns, etc. and make decisions on appropriate actions such as adjusting order quantities, re-directing merchandise, requesting additional delivery or an air-shipment, cancelling an order, etc.
• Monitor and distribute discontinued and/or end of season merchandise and communicate findings/issues to Merchant and Planning Manager
• Identify slow moving items/locations and make recommendations to markdown or modify the assortment/cluster to Merchant, improving productivity and profitability
• Support new ships and new initiatives with proper stock investment and communicate status/timing to appropriate stakeholders

Communication &

Collaboration:

• Identify and communicate any style/program opportunities to the Merchant and Planning Manager. This includes making suggestions and presenting analysis to action Stock outs, fast/slow sellers, special event/itineraries, brand/assortment potentials.
• Lead weekly meetings with planning team to discuss strategies and priorities. Present all findings, suggestions and business opportunities to the team.
• Ensure that all new merchandise allocation delivery dates are communicated to the planning and merchant team once merchandise is allocated
• Review with Planning & Cruise Line Retail teams:
  • Operational sales and inventory targets, and the corresponding product flow, by ship, itinerary, and program/brand to ensure alignment
  • Analysis of sales trends to optimize inventory investments and drive sales transition plans into a new assortment and/or new itinerary
  • Exception-based reporting to identify projected low on-board stock levels, potential lost sales, low DC stock levels, overstocks, variance to fixture-fill, etc.
• Collaborate with Logistics on outbound product flow for enhanced speed-to-market initiatives

Education and Experience:

• 4
  -6 Years of Experience
• Bachelor's Degree Required

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Prior experience in distribution, allocation, planning required
• MS Office with advanced proficiency with Excel including the use of pivot tables and formulas
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, team-oriented environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication, ability to work in fast paced environment, team player/ ability to work cross-functionally
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills; strong numbers…