Senior Merchandise Planner

Love solving puzzles with numbers? At Shoe Carnival, we offer the perfect opportunity to use your analytical skills and merchandise planning experience to shape the future of our brands. This role offers the chance to dive into data, collaborate with our team, and drive strategic decisions that make a real impact.

This position will report to our South Corporate office at 1800 Innovation Point, 5th Floor, Fort Mill, SC on Monday through Thursday, with the option of working Friday from home.

Salary: $75,000. Commensurate with experience.

The Sr Merchandise Planner leads the development, execution, and optimization of

merchandise financial plans across multiple departments or categories. This role serves as a strategic partner to the Merchant teams, driving sales, margin, and inventory productivity through data-driven insights and proactive planning. This role supports the Open-To-Buy process, ensuring alignment between financial goals and merchandising strategies. The Sr Merchandise Planner will partner with FP&A and lead the development and execution of store-level sales, margin, and inventory plans that align with corporate financial objectives and merchandise strategies.

 

• Leads the development of pre-season and in-season financial plans at the department and category level, ensuring alignment with company goals and long-range strategies.

• Monitors and analyzes sales, inventory, and margin performance to identify risks and opportunities.

• Partners with FP&A to create sales, margin, and inventory plans at the store level that align with corporate financial targets and merchandise strategies.

• Supports the Open-To-Buy process, providing insights and recommendations to optimize inventory flow, maximize profitability, and mitigate risk.

• Collaborates with the Merchant teams to develop and refine assortment strategies that meet financial targets and customer demand.

• Analyzes and interprets weekly, monthly, and seasonal reports to identify business trends, opportunities, and risks; translates findings into actionable strategies.

• Leads seasonal hindsight and forecasting processes to inform future planning strategies.
• Contributes to cross-functional initiatives, including system enhancements, process improvements, and strategic projects.

• Presents business updates and recommendations to leadership with clarity and confidence.
• Supports cross-functional initiatives and ad hoc analysis as needed.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Merchandising, or a related field, required.
• 3-5 years of experience in merchandise planning, inventory management, or a related retail analytics role, required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, basic formulas).
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with retail planning or reporting systems (e.g., MicroStrategy, SCVL Apps, SAP,
• Oracle RPAS) is a plus.
• Proficient understanding of retail metrics such as sales, margin, inventory turn, and open-to-buy.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and identify actionable insights.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and data integrity.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build strong working relationships.
• Comfortable presenting findings and recommendations to peers and managers.
• Highly organized and self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Adaptable to change and eager to learn new systems and processes.
• Demonstrates curiosity and a desire to grow within the merchandise planning function.

Total Rewards:

The Shoe Carnival, Inc. Total Rewards program offers eligible associates highly competitive benefits, including the following:

• Competitive