Merchandise Planner

Merchandise Planner

Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the US. Operating out of Indianapolis, IN, our retail stores offer officially licensed headwear and apparel from collegiate and professional sports teams, plus top brands like Nike, New Era, Lululemon, and Mitchell & Ness. In addition to our wide assortment, we are the industry leader in on demand customization. We currently operate 1,300+ brick and mortar locations, including specialty concept stores for the NBA, NHL, and the two largest MLB franchises, via our Yankees & Dodgers Clubhouse stores. Lids has built partnerships and collaborations with iconic global brands, creating a community where fans, fashion, and culture collide.

General Position Summary

The Merchandise Planner is responsible for building financial sales, gross margin, and inventory plans for both pre-season and in-season time periods. Partner with Buying & Merchandising to create and deliver local assortment strategies maximizing sales and profits. Responsible for the successful development, execution, and communication of financial and inventory plans. Provide analytics and support to the Merchandising organization and Executive leadership on business performance.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

Coordinate the development of annual, seasonal, monthly, and weekly merchandise plans. Construct merchandise purchase schedules, initial product deliveries, and in-season merchandise flow. Manage monthly department level open-to-buy activities. Provide expert analysis on trends and recommendations to influence cancellations, future purchases, and assortment strategies. Analyze historic performance to identify areas of opportunity or risk. Prepare preseason promotional and markdown strategy through partnership with buyer and merchandising teams. Develop, maintain, and update set of tools & reports to support business needs. Establish appropriate processes & tools to review product assortments; provide data & analysis to support decision making. Maintain business processes and serve as subject matter expert for process improvements.

Additional Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Partner with allocation & supply chain teams to implement consistent and profitable in-season replenishment strategies and practices. Develop enterprise-wide risk mitigation plans and execute when appropriate. Coordinate product assortments and allocations with store needs. Manage hot market events by communicating and quantifying opportunities. Manage location intensive assortments. Manage local/regional relevant assortments and business solutions. Support and adhere to all company policies, procedures, and guidelines. Provide excellent customer service per HW&L policy manual. Represent planning and at times present to executives, employees, and partners.

Job Required Knowledge & Skills

Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, or related field. 35 years merchandising, planning, buying, or equivalent experience. Strong understanding of retail math and measures used in financial reporting. Proven ability to perform independently with minimal supervision. Advanced capabilities in Microsoft Excel; proficiency in Access, PowerPoint, and Word; ability to learn technical applications quickly. Ability to think objectively and interpret meaningful themes from qualitative & quantitative data. Ability to evaluate financial and business indicators and translate data into actionable insights. Ability to use rigorous logic to solve problems with effective solutions.

Preferred Job Required Knowledge & Skills

Able to build constructive and effective relationships across broad groups. Ability to balance conflicting priorities and deliver meaningful results. Effective in various presentation settings to peers and executives. Can present ideas and direction that lead to action. Demonstrated ability to meet and exceed goals. Identifies and communicates risks; recommends changes to prevent disruptions. Strong organizational and project management skills.

Employment Requirements: Candidates must possess the experience, skills, physical abilities, and qualifications, with or without reasonable accommodation, to perform the essential duties of the role and must be able to meet all applicable employment standards. Being legally authorized to work in the United States is a pre-condition of employment for this position. Current or future employment-based visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Equal Employment Opportunity: We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Notice to Applicants: In connection with your application, we collect information that identifies, reasonably relates to, or describes you ("Personal Information"). The categories of Personal Information we collect include your name, email address, mailing address, other contact information, employment history, and educational history. We collect and use this information for human resources and business management purposes, including identifying and evaluating candidates for employment or future contract opportunities, and maintaining recruiting and hiring records. Upon a conditional job offer, we may require additional Personal Information for business purposes and background checks as permitted by law, including but not limited to government-issued identification numbers, work authorization, emergency contact information, criminal record information, and demographic data used for analytics and compliance with applicable legal requirements and Company policies.

Need Accessibility Assistance? Applicants who require accessibility assistance to submit an employment application may email hr@lids.com. A member of our Talent team will respond as soon as reasonably possible. This email address is only for individuals seeking reasonable accommodation when applying for a career at Lids.