Associate Merchandise Planner

The Guitar Center Company • Frederick, MD

11d • $60,000 - $70,000

About The Position

We are seeking an analytical, detail-oriented Associate Merchandise Planner to support the merchandise planning team in driving sales, inventory, and profitability across assigned categories. This entry-level role is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with numbers, identifying trends, and partnering with cross-functional teams to make data-driven business decisions. The Associate Merchandise Planner will help analyze sales and inventory performance, maintain reporting, support forecasting and planning activities, and identify opportunities to optimize inventory and maximize sales.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, Merchandising, Analytics, or a related field.
• 0–2 years of relevant experience; internships or academic experience in retail, analytics, finance, or merchandising are welcome.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, and basic data analysis.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn in a fast-paced retail environment.

Nice To Haves

• Previous retail, merchandising, planning, buying, allocation, or e-commerce experience.
• Familiarity with retail KPIs such as sales, gross margin, sell-through, weeks of supply, inventory turnover, and markdowns.
• Experience with reporting or business intelligence tools.
• Basic understanding of forecasting and inventory planning.

Responsibilities

• Analyze weekly and monthly sales, inventory, and product performance.
• Assist with open-to-buy sales, inventory, and gross margin forecasting.
• Prepare and maintain recurring reports, dashboards, and business analyses.
• Analyze sales trends and historical performance to support future plans.
• Partner with Category Merchants, Replenishment and Operations teams.
• Help identify opportunities to improve inventory productivity, sell-through, and profitability.
• Support seasonal planning, promotional analysis, and post-season reporting.
• Maintain accurate planning files and ensure data integrity across reporting tools.
• Present findings and recommendations to planning and merchandising leadership as needed.
• Take on ad hoc analyses and projects that support business priorities.

Benefits

• gig leave--take time off to share your music with the world and return to your job after your tour!
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401K plus company match
• mental health support
• paid sick/holiday/vacation time
• employee discount program
• tuition reimbursement options

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level