Merchandise Planning

  • Level: Intermediate
  • E-learning: 2.5 hours
  • Modules: 8
  • Quiz: Multiple choice
  • Certificate: Digital
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Course overview

Merchandise planning is a critical pre-season process which enables the development of robust financial plans to deliver weekly sales, stock and intake (WSSI) targets, at department and category level. This comprehensive series of eight online modules explores the WSSI step-by-step and delivers valuable knowledge and information that is critical to effective merchandise planning.

In this course, you will learn how to:
  • Create a pre-season merchandise plan
  • Describe how a merchandise plan is broken down
  • Create departmental or category sales plans
  • Plan stock levels and phase intake to factor for seasonality
  • Manage open to buy (OTB)
  • Plan promotions and markdowns to maximise sales and manage stock

Modules in more detail

  1. The pre-season merchandise plan – what it is, why we do it and an introduction to the WSSI
  2. Planning sales – using the building blocks tool
  3. Category planning – considering departmental key performance indicators and seasonality
  4. Phasing sales – creating a pre-season sales plan
  5. Planning markdowns – strategic vs. tactical promotions and permanent markdowns
  6. Developing a stock plan -flat and forward cover and managing seasonal products and terminal stock
  7. Planning intake – calculating OTB and developing an exit strategy
  8. Planning margin – factors which impact both intake and sales margin

Who is this course for?

  • Intermediate-level merchandise planning roles involved in pre-season planning.
  • Assistant levels new to this responsibility
  • People working in the buying stream who wish to increase their understanding of the merchandise planning process
  • Anybody wishing to refresh and validate their merchandise planning skills and knowledge

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