Srinivasan S

Merchandise Planner / Retail Planner

• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) planning to ensure optimal inventory investment and alignment with sales, margin, and stock objectives.
• Develop and execute markdown strategies for Mid-Season Sales (MSS), End-of-Season Sales (EOSS), and special promotional events, evaluating the impact on sales, inventory productivity, profitability, and Gross Profit (GP%) performance.
• Analyze promotional effectiveness and customer demand trends to optimize discount levels, maximize sell-through, and protect margin objectives.
• Partner with Merchandising and Buying teams to balance inventory liquidation goals with revenue and GP% targets.
• Develop category- and brand-level financial plans, including sales, gross margin, inventory, and markdown budgets.
• Analyze historical sales, inventory productivity, and consumer trends to identify growth opportunities and forecast future demand.
• Monitor key retail KPIs such as sales, sell-through, stock cover, inventory turns, and gross margin to drive business performance.
• Provide weekly and monthly performance reporting, highlighting risks, opportunities, and actionable recommendations to senior management.
• Create and maintain category- and brand-level planning templates used across business reporting and management reviews.
• Present financial plans, forecasts, and business performance insights to leadership teams to support strategic decision-making.

• Analyze sales data to forecast demand and inform stock management decisions.
• Develop and maintain inventory management systems for optimal stock levels.
• Coordinate with marketing and merchandising teams to align product availability with promotions.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators related to product turnover and availability.
• Optimize supply chain processes to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of quality products.
• Analyze sales data to forecast demand and inform stock replenishment strategies for M&S Food products.
• Develop and maintain inventory management systems to minimize waste and maximize product availability.
• Monitor and report on key performance indicators related to stock turnover, availability, and wastage.

• Open-to-Buy (OTB) Management: Create, manage, and track the OTB process by understanding brand requirements and profitability objectives.
• Analyze current inventory scenarios to identify gaps, opportunities, and action plans. Handle initial allocation, replenishment, consolidation, stock gaps, and forecasting, ensuring smooth inventory flows.
• Define and track primary and secondary target achievements for product categories. Implement inventory planning strategies based on sales trends to achieve optimal sell-through and profitability.
• Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyze sales data and drive inventory planning decisions.
• Advise the buying team on space adjustments (increase or decrease) based on sales performance and trends.
• Analyze sales figures regularly to identify trends, weaknesses, and potential opportunities for improvement.
• Develop merchandise plans, adjusting categories based on customer preferences, historical sales trends, and future outlooks. Execute all merchandising directives accurately to align with company objectives.
• Plan IST based on current sales trends and adjust inventory levels accordingly to meet merchandise requirements. Ensure that inventory turnover is optimized by responding to sales fluctuations and trends in a timely manner.
• Monitor stock levels and sales performance to make data-driven decisions for adjusting stock turnover rates as needed.

• Assisted in setting financial goals, including developing pre-season financial plans, sales projections, and stock planning.
• Contributed to Open-to-Buy management to ensure effective budget allocation for seasonal merchandise.
• Analyzed current inventory to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Managed initial allocation, replenishment, consolidation, and stock forecasting.
• Monitored inventory performance to track stock vs. sales and ensure effective replenishment.
• Supported in achieving primary and secondary targets related to sales, stock levels, and product performance.
• Led cross-functional teams to analyze sales data, providing actionable insights.
• Developed and implemented merchandising strategies that increased sales revenue by 20%.
• Suggested and executed category corrections.
• Managed stock levels, excess inventory, projected future sales to identify potential issues.

• Buying & Merchandising: Range Architecture/Option Plan for the season.
• Achieved Gross Margin Target by ensuring delivery of buying strategy.
• Final Range Selection for the Brand.
• Space Planning for optimum efficiency.
• Responsible for Annual Sales and Margin % achievement.
• Created & Managed OTBs.
• Ensured timely delivery and stock availability at stores and warehouses.
• Forecasted and planned inventory for core lines.
• Managed display capacity, density, and category assortment.
• Managed Order Tracking System (OTS).

• Inventory management (Initial Allocation, Replenishment & Consolidation, Stock Gaps & Forecasting).
• Achieved sales and sell-through targets.
• Managed season VM planning and setups.
• Handled space management & assortment planning.
• Business development & team management.
• Ensured optimum order quantity and timely replenishment.
• Analyzed promotion effectiveness.
• Monitored stock levels, coordinated with teams for promotional campaigns.
• Conducted store visits for feedback and competitor analysis.
• Coordinated sales planning & allocation with RSM & sales team.