Retail Merchandise Planner

The USH planning department connects the Universal Park and Resorts Buying Team in Orlando with the Retail Team in Hollywood. The planning team oversees all retail locations and special event merchandise, such as Halloween Horror Nights and Grinchmas, to ensure a great retail experience for guests worldwide. The Retail Merchandise Planner will report to the Retail Planning Manager and will work closely with Visual Merchandising, Retail Operators, and the Orlando Buying and Planning team. The Retail Merchandise Planner will directly manage inventory flow for Universal Hollywood stores. They will provide weekly and ad hoc financial analyses on store and SKU-level performance. The Retail Merchandise Planner will collaborate with the Merchandising/Visual team to work on store merchandising plans and ensure proper assortments are made available at locations. They will also ensure merchandise is placed according to the merchandiser-developed SKU to the fixture, determine allocation amounts, and provide adequate real estate for programs. Additionally, they will work directly with the Universal Parks and Resorts buying team, Merchandise Warehouse, and Visual Team to manage product levels, store layouts, and placement. RESPONSIBILITIES: Manage retail inventory planning for Universal Studios Hollywood stores, ensuring optimal stock levels to meet demand. Collaborate closely with Merchandising and Visuals teams to develop merchandising plans and assortments. Forecast and prevent out-of-stock, oversee timely replenishment, and prioritize inbounds with low inventory. Adjust inventory targets and utilize auto-replenishment systems to meet demand efficiently. Generate daily transfer orders from warehouse to stores for replenishment purposes. Monitor and ensure smooth flow of goods, including new products, re-orders, and delivery schedules. Conduct detailed SKU-level sales analysis and prepared post-execution reports to evaluate program performance. Utilize strong analytical skills to create comprehensive reports in Excel and derive actionable insights. Responsible for planning and inventory management for special events. Responsible for generating and processing invoices for retail-sponsored events. Manage and consolidate pre-expired inventory. Monitor top-selling-program sales performance and implement strategies to increase key performance indicators. Develop exit strategies for discontinued merchandise and broken styles. Support seasonal and event store sets in collaboration with Buyers and Visual Merchandisers. Foster strong partnerships with Store Operations teams to facilitate store changes and retail walkthroughs. Perform Park walks focusing on performance, maintenance, and inventory levels. Prepare weekly and monthly sales reports as directed by the Planning Manager. Perform other duties as assigned.