As a Merchandise Planner you will be a product category specialist reporting to the Head of Merchandise Planning. You will operate the day to day planning and trading of key categories through careful management of budgets and OTB (open to buy) and supporting the Head of Merchandise Planning in distributing these across the business units.
You will work collaboratively with the product teams to agree appropriate levels of budget allocation pre-season, and continually analyse performance to identify opportunities and risk, making recommendations to the business to drive sales and margin.
What Youll Be Doing
1. Strategic thinking
Delivering against existing strategy by executing deliverables against key milestones:
Proposing and managing product category budgets across business units, producing clear budget targets on time with regular review periods
Through strategic planning and trading of the category performance, managing intake and OTB allocation to deliver the stock requirements to the business.
Providing guidance to product teams of width and depth requirements to meet satisfy customer demand.
Providing targets for full price, promotion and markdown to product and channel teams at product category level
Providing and interpreting performance analysis and propose actions to capitalise on opportunity and mitigate risk to sales
Support the head of merchandise planning in aligning on approach to category and end use management and the delivery of analysis and budget guidance to the product and channel teams
2. Business knowledge
Understanding of the business to accomplish team objectives and contribute to department / exec area vision:
Delivering in-season trading through recommendations to re-allocate budgets based on customer demand to optimise stock health and increase sales and margin.
Using expertise of supply chain and lead times to ensure ASOS remains agile and flexible to changing customer demands through considered allocation of budgets.
Incorporating the requirements of channel teams into the product category plans to ensure product requirements at a local level are met.
Using analytical data to support decision making and analyse trading patterns and make recommendations for action to be taken to unexpected sales reactions and gaps in budgets
3. Leadership
Supporting the Head of Merchandise Planning to make strategic and trading decisions in a fast-paced environment:
Providing day to day guidance and council to the Merchandise Analysists to deliver department objectives and support their development.
Building strong cross-functional relationships that enable trust and buy-in from product and channel teams
4. Problem solving
Analysing facts to make judgements and uses skills and expertise to formulate a detailed action plan:
Pre-season & in-season product category plans
Commitment, OTB and intake planning
Width & Depth guidance
Pricing analysis and recommendations
Price status planning
5. Impact
Providing Head of Merchandise Planning with support in influencing the wider commercial function through guidance and recommendations
Revenue and profitability would be a key measure of success
Providing analysis and visibility of the end to end performance KPIs at product category level
/01 Company Description
We're ASOS. We blend our flair for fashion with our love of cutting- edge technology, but more importantly were interested in how we can bring the best out of you.
We exist to give people the confidence to be whoever they want to be, and that goes for our people too. At ASOS, you're free to be your true self without judgment, and channel your creativity into a platform used by millions.
Through our Fashion with Integrity strategy we are driving diversity, equity and inclusion across every aspect of ASOS and ensuring every ASOSer can be their authentic self at work. We want our people to be whoever they want to be, because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work.
/02 Job Qualifications
Who Wed Like to Meet
A proven track record of driving sales performance through creative thinking at a merchandiser level
Commercial approach and control of financial budgets and targets
Strong numerical acumen to manage performance by category
Experience in planning, managing sales, stock, intake and OTB
Ability to make decisions in a fast-paced environment
Fashion/market knowledge to be able to guide relevant trade-off decisions between business units.
Ability to work cross-functionally to drive the best results for ASOS.com
Strong organisational skills, able to use initiative and to work in a pressurised environment
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, effectively, and appropriately with colleagues at all levels
Attention to detail
Advanced Excel skills
/03 Additional Info
Whats in it for you?
Employee discount (hello ASOS discount!)
ASOS Develops (personal development opportunities across the business)
Employee sample sales
Access to a huge range of LinkedIn learning materials
25 days paid annual leave + an extra celebration day
Discretionary performance related bonus scheme
Private medical care scheme
Flexible benefits allowance - which you can choose to take as extra cash, or use towards other benefits
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
what our people say
Meet The Team
Meet Geeta Gohil -
Commercial @ ASOS
Meet Ian Amer -
Commercial @ ASOS
Meet Mui Abdul -
Commercial @ ASOS
Working at ASOS has made me realise how much I feel like I belong here. It’s exciting and refreshing. The authenticity and inclusivity ASOS has makes it even better to work here. Everyday is a different day; I am learning new things, meeting new people and be involved in so many amazing buying projects.
I love ASOS for two main reasons – firstly because as a company it is never afraid to try something new or challenge the way we work; we really have the autonomy to push ourselves in new directions.
ASOS is incredibly inclusive which means so much to me as a queer Black woman. There are so many opportunities here beyond your role, so you can really boost and build your dream career here. And the people! I’m inspired everyday by my colleagues, the creativity here is unparalleled!
Geeta Gohil
Commercial @ ASOS
Working at ASOS has made me realise how much I feel like I belong here. It’s exciting and refreshing. The authenticity and inclusivity ASOS has makes it even better to work here. Everyday is a different day; I am learning new things, meeting new people and be involved in so many amazing buying projects.
Ian Amer
Commercial @ ASOS
I love ASOS for two main reasons – firstly because as a company it is never afraid to try something new or challenge the way we work; we really have the autonomy to push ourselves in new directions.
Mui Abdul
Commercial @ ASOS
ASOS is incredibly inclusive which means so much to me as a queer Black woman. There are so many opportunities here beyond your role, so you can really boost and build your dream career here. And the people! I’m inspired everyday by my colleagues, the creativity here is unparalleled!
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
our business values
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We are Customer First
We couldn’t be ASOS without our customers.
Across every behaviour, value, and all that we do, we see everything through our customers’ eyes. That means never taking anything for granted and always zeroing in on every single detail. So we can always bring our best as a team, and our customers can have an amazing experience, every time.
We are Authentic
We work together to be honest, transparent, and our full authentic selves.
This is our ASOS. Our culture, built on collaboration and togetherness, and supported by what’s real and honest. We know that we win bigger when we win as a diverse team. That means celebrating our differences and using them to help us stand out from the crowd, without losing our authenticity and individuality.
We are Brave
We challenge each other to aim high and reach our potential.
Doing nothing gets us nowhere. We may be proud of everything we’ve done so far, but there’s still so much more to explore. We believe we can always be wiser, faster, stronger, bigger, braver, kinder…so asking ‘why’ isn’t just a question, it’s a necessity. We use our voice to drive us forward, speaking up on the things our people and customers care about and using our curiosity to create possibility.
We are Creative
We know innovation leads to inspiration – it’s what makes us stronger
Change is in our DNA. By acting fast and staying one step ahead of the curve, we can be a leader, not a follower. But for our products and platform to be innovative, they have to be fuelled by creative passion and a deep understanding of our customers and our people.
We always Deliver
We couldn’t be excellent without evidence – so whatever we’re doing, we have proof of why we’re doing it.
It takes facts and data to tell our stories and help us make our decisions in the most effective way possible. This means we can do what we say and own what we do, no matter how long it takes us to do it. We aren’t about nonsense ifs, buts and maybes, we’re about creating an ASOS that’s built for future success on delivered success.
Our Benefits
Employee Discount
The most asked-about benefit! As an ASOSer, you’ll receive an exclusive employee discount. You can also nominate a family member or friend to share your discount with.
Pension
Retirement might not be on your mind right now, but it’s important to prep for it. We offer matched contributions up to 5% to help you save.
Private Medical Care scheme
If you join our Private Medical Care scheme, you’ll get fast and effective access to medical cover.
Bonus
What we achieve is always a team effort. That’s why we offer a discretionary bonus scheme which rewards you based on our group financial and strategic performance.
Celebratory Day!
Get an extra day off in addition to the 25 days of annual leave you get! Spend it celebrating the big days in life, whether it’s birthdays, cultural holidays, weddings and anything else.
Shuttlebus Service (if you're based in our Leavesden office)
It’s more of a work perk, but we offer a free shuttlebus between Watford station and our office in Leavesden.
Sample Sales
We’ve always got fun things happening in our offices, but the one ASOSers get most excited about is our sample sales. Plus, all proceeds from the sample sale get donated to the ASOS Foundation, which helps our charity partners abroad.
Career Development
You’ll get access to world-class development plans, courses and certificates to help you mould your career. You’ll also get access to our learning events ‘ASOS Develops’ and ‘Shape Your Career’ which give you the time and space to focus on developing those skills to excel your career.
Summer Hours
We finish at 3pm on Fridays in June, July and August!! This perk doesn’t mean a dip in your salary – it just gives you extra freedom to enjoy those summer weekends however you want.
Location
Our HQ in London
Our HQ in Camden was once a cigarette factory – now, the iconic Art Deco building has been completely renovated with spacious office areas, ASOS Studios (where we shoot all our products), beauty rooms and a free gym. There’s also a subsidised canteen and café.