Merchandise Analyst – Retail Planning & Data

About the role

The Merchandise Analyst drives data‑led merchandise planning, OTB management and in‑season performance optimisation, partnering with buying, merchandising, finance, operations, supply chain and marketing teams to deliver the right product, quantity, price and placement across stores.

Key responsibilities

• Defined and supported pre‑season merchandise strategies across brands and categories, aligning OTB planning with sales, margin and inventory targets.
• Built and managed option plans and space planning to optimise assortment depth and store productivity.
• Delivered pre‑season and in‑season analysis to support buy sign‑off, milestone reviews and trading decisions.
• Monitored KPIs such as sales, stock, OTB, margins, sell‑through, inventory cover and productivity.
• Drove in‑season trading actions including replenishment, allocation, stock balancing and fast/slow mover management.
• Developed data‑driven allocation and replenishment strategies to reduce stock‑outs and ageing inventory.
• Supported pricing, markdown planning and promotional performance analysis to maximise margin and inventory turnover.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
• 3‑5 years of proven experience in retail analysis, planning, merchandising or inventory management.
• Strong analytical and quantitative abilities with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Required skills

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Data analysis and reporting using analytical tools.
• Experience with reporting tools and dashboards.