Merchandise Planner Role Overview
Hype DC is a premium, limited and exclusive sneaker retailer with almost 25 years of experience as one of Australia's leading destinations. We deliver a curated world-class assortment of sneakers to our customers.
Our team is at the heart of what we do, and we strive to deliver memorable experiences, high-performance culture and operational excellence. As a key sneaker destination, we are obsessed and committed to our people and customers.
About the Merchandise Planner Role:
We're seeking a commercially-minded and analytically-driven Merchandise Planner to join our Planning & Buying team. This role is crucial in ensuring the right product is in the right place at the right time, supporting sales and profitability across all channels. You'll work closely with buyers, retail teams, and supply chain to forecast demand, manage inventory and develop strategies that optimize stock performance and customer satisfaction.
Your Key Responsibilities:
* Partner with the Buying team to develop seasonal merchandise plans and range frameworks aligned with business objectives.
* Manage Open to Buy (OTB) budgets and ensure stock is in line with sales forecasts and promotional calendars.
* Analyse sales, margin, and inventory data to identify trends, opportunities, and risks.
* Develop allocation and replenishment strategies that maximize sell-through and minimize markdowns.
* Forecast future sales and stock needs based on historical performance, trends, and market conditions.
* Monitor product lifecycle and make recommendations on markdowns, reorders, or exit strategies.
* Provide regular reporting and insights to cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders.
* Mentor and manage the allocations team.
Requirements:
* 3+ years' experience in a merchandise planning or inventory management role (ideally in retail or fashion).
* Strong analytical and numerical skills with advanced Excel capability.
* Commercially savvy with a deep understanding of retail KPIs and financial levers.
* Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
* Confident communicator who can influence cross-functional teams and build strong working relationships.
* Experience using planning tools is a plus.
* Strong team management skills to help develop our team of allocators.
* Passion for sneakers, streetwear, or fashion retail is highly regarded.
Key Skills and Qualifications
Key Requirements
In this role, you will need to have the following skills and qualifications:
* Merchandise planning expertise.
* Inventory management knowledge.
* Analytical and numerical skills.
* Excel proficiency.
* Commercial awareness.
* Team leadership skills.
* Effective communication skills.
Why Work with Us
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity and inclusion. We believe in the diversity of our people across age, gender, identity, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical and mental ability. We strive to create an equal employment environment where everyone from any background can be themselves. The Accent Group acknowledges, and pays respect, to the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of the land. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Maori people.