Merchandise Allocator

New Balance•Lawrence, MA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

New Balance's Allocator will develop the allocation plan and strategy for a group of stores, categories, or channels with the goal of meeting/exceeding sales and gross margin targets, while maximizing in-stock and inventory turns. The allocator will lead, share information, and partner with buyers in order to help drive buying and pricing decisions. Responsible to allocate merchandise to ensure stores/channel have the inventory to support sales and margin goals. This is done by having product at the right time, in the right place, at the right quantities, with an understanding of End of Life strategies for each product. Partnering with buyers, determine and maintain store groups and ranks on a seasonal basis. Execute initial set allocations, leverage the allocation and replenishment system to execute each product life cycle allocation, and manage the replenishment strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 2 + years of merchandise allocation experience or 3 + years of retail experience in a high volume store
Strong retail math and analytical skills
Intermediate to Advanced computer skills (Excel)
Excellent communication skills-including written, verbal and listening
Strong attention to detail and accuracy
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to prioritize workload and manage competing priorities
Proficient in Diver, Aptos and POS systems is a plus

Responsibilities

Work jointly with buyers and planners to determine departmental and store level inventory projections and flow to support sales plans and achieve turn goals
Manage auto replenishment and make adjustments based on sales trend, seasonal factors, and business needs
Manage and track PO flow and inventory to retail stores or DTC DC.
Escalate inventory flow issues with buyers and planners and provide recommendations
Maximize shipping efficiency across the distribution network based on store and consumer location (Right product in the right location at the right time)
Initiate seasonal Min/Max set-up and replenish key skus on a weekly/monthly basis or as needed.
Create and maintain auto-replenishment and building model stocks.
Determine appropriate allocation strategy for product type based on product life cycle to minimize EOL inventory.
Develop allocation practices that take into account store capacity, demand, and seasonality.
Provide inventory analysis and reporting that can be leveraged across team
Identify and implement style curves/seasonality
Evaluate Weeks of Supply and partner with buyers to execute End of Life Product strategies.
Responsible for managing the store capacity sheet for inventory risks and opportunities.
Perform various store level analysis to anticipate the needs of the business.
Promote positive team environment within the Merchant Team
Identify strengths and improve performance by supporting multi-skill development
Must be able to clearly and concisely present analytical data and propose solutions in an organized manner to cross functional team
Partner with the buying Team on seasonal Calendars, understanding key drivers, promotions, big ideas and new launches
Develop business relationships with key internal Operations Team (Warehouse, Customer Care, IT, etc.)
Partner with the buyers to analyze style level inventory and communicate risks/opportunities
Partner with operations and distribution center for inventory flow and collaboration.