Merchandise Planner

About the Role: The Associate Retail Allocation Planner is responsible for driving optimal inventory flow across YETI retail locations to support sales, margin, and customer experience goals. This role partners closely with Merchandising, Planning, Supply Chain, and Store Operations to ensure the right product is in the right place, in the right quantity, at the right time. Using data-driven insights, the Allocation Planner balances demand, inventory productivity, and operational constraints to maximize sell-through and minimize risk.

What You'll Do: Allocation & Inventory Management Develop and execute initial and ongoing allocation strategies based on sales forecasts, store profiles, assortment plans, and inventory availability. Own store-level inventory health by managing replenishment, transfers, and inventory balancing actions to minimize stockouts and excess inventory. Monitor weekly sales, sell-through, weeks of supply, and on-hand inventory to identify risks and opportunities. Support new store openings, remodels, and special initiatives through tailored allocation strategies. Demand & Performance Analysis Analyze historical sales trends, seasonal patterns, and product performance to inform allocation decisions. Identify underperforming and overperforming locations and recommend corrective actions. Partner with Planning to translate demand forecasts into actionable allocation plans. Continuously refine allocation logic based on test-and-learn insights and post-season analysis. Cross-Functional Partnership Collaborate with Merchandising to align allocations to assortment strategies, product life cycle, and promotional plans. Partner with Distribution Centers and Supply Chain to ensure accurate, timely product flow and resolve fulfillment issues. Act as a key point of contact for Store Operations, providing guidance on inventory strategies and addressing store-specific needs. Reporting & Process Improvement Produce and analyze reports on inventory performance, allocation effectiveness, and KPI trends. Present insights and recommendations to leadership to support strategic decision-making. Identify and implement process improvements to enhance allocation efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Stay current on retail best practices, allocation methodologies, and industry trends.

What You Bring: Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Merchandising, or a related field preferred. More than 2 years of experience in retail allocation, merchandise planning, demand planning, or inventory management. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, formulas); experience with allocation or planning systems is strongly preferred. Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret large datasets and translate insights into action. Understanding of retail KPIs such as sell-through, weeks of supply, inventory turnover, and margin. Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Strong communication and influencing skills, with comfort working cross-functionally. Proactive problem solver with a continuous improvement mindset. Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team culture.