Director, Wholesale Planning

at  Abercrombie and Fitch Co

JOB DESCRIPTION

A&F Co. is seeking a skilled Director of Planning to develop and execute product strategies for expansion into multiple retail channels. As the Director of Planning, (across both Hollister and A&F brands), you will play a pivotal role in activating the Strategy for seasonal merchandise plans and forecasts for all product categories, in the EMEA region. This person will lead a planning team to balance risk and reward as we expand into new business models and evolve our ways of working. You will partner closely with the merchandising teams, commercial teams as well as with finance.
This job is located at our EMEA Regional Home Office in London, UK

• Develop and implement a merchandise planning strategy that supports the company’s expansion into multiple retail channels and global locations.
• Maximize financial success by meeting sales and gross margin (dollars and rate)
• Develop seasonal merchandise plans, SKU targets and forecasts for all product categories.
• Analyze historical sales trends, global market trends, and customer data to inform strategic planning decisions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between merchandise plans and supply chain capabilities, financial plans, and merchandising strategies.
• Collaborate with Buying Director to create the overall seasonal assortment.
• Have a solid awareness of global fashion trends and accurately chase and purchase into them
• Build and manage teams that manage inventory levels across all channels and locations to ensure optimal inventory turns and profitability.
• With your teams, stay on top of global assortment shifts and changes, ensuring that they are captured and communicated to sales teams / accounts in a timely manner
• Identify opportunities to optimize product pricing and promotional strategies to drive sales and margin.
• Report on key performance metrics, making recommendations for adjustments to the merchandise strategy as needed.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in merchandise planning.
• Develop and retain, team by frequently communicating with team members about career path, growth opportunities, and give constructive feedback
• Travel across region to have a pulse on the market and connection with our partners.