Ralph Laurent

To work in conjunction with merchandise planning, sales and retail buying teams to assist in the development, forecasting and retail delivery of a well-balanced, lifestyle appropriate assortments that provide both volume and margin growth for assigned retail partner(s) and reflects the seasonal RL merchandising vision for the Childrenswear business.

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Key focus to include:

• Work collaboratively (internally and externally) with merchandising, sales and retail buying teams to identify and define product strategies and opportunities in order to implement assortment plans for all product divisions and categories to support the brand financial strategy that will drive mutually beneficial and profitable results
• Support Account Planning process to develop and deliver strategic detailed plans
• Designated ‘Super User’ for implementation of new merchandise planning system
• Collaborate with Sales and the accounts to prepare the financial class plans, flow and door targets.
• Validate all finalized class plans with VP of Planning prior to building assortments.
• Build assortment and validate with sound financial metrics that product placements are meeting financial goals, provide extensive recaps of plans

·        Strong partnership with Account Executive to ensure seasonal assortment plans meet the business objectives and needs for each account in collaboration with Buyer.

·        Analyze historical and in-season selling to guide and action future seasons plans

Accountabilities/Action Steps:

Strategic Financial & Assortment Planning Process

Analysis and Forecasting Process

• Weekly account performance analysis (Fashion, Seasonal Core and BSR/Core Replenishment Product)
  • Analyze best and worst performers
  • Provide key insight to Account Executive, Buying and Merchandising teams
  • Highlight and action current and future opportunities in all product lines
• Report on key deliverables; sell-through, product margin, bookings, class penetrations in season and pre and post market

• Partner with Account Executive weekly to review account sales performance.
• Partner with Retail Development team and conduct store visits (in partnership with Account Executive), gain further insight to retail performance
• Various ad-hoc projects that will require a full understanding of product life cycle
• Create and maintain various tools for market prep and sales meetings
• Validate and monitor account size scale and make any necessary callouts to ensure assortment sizes are optimal to drive sales
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Reporting Process

• Prepare account recaps and review with VP of Planning prior to management meetings that details out key insights and metrics that will assist with account communication to drive business
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Account Management and Communication

·       Develop a strong working relationship with the each AE and their account's management team

Ensure high level of collaboration and proactive communication with all levels of account management structure to drive business towards plan achievement.