Lead- Retail Planning and Merchandising

Job Description

Key Responsibilities/What You Will Do 1. Retail Planning & Inventory Management Develop and implement comprehensive retail planning strategies aligned with overall business goals across COCO stores. Lead retail level demand forecasting and inventory optimization, ensuring availability of key SKUs while minimizing stockouts and excess inventory. Analyze SKU-level performance to prioritize assortment focusing on the top-performing SKUs driving 90%+ revenue. Coordinate with regional warehouses to ensure timely and efficient replenishment across 20+ cities, optimizing fulfilment from North, South, and West warehouses. Monitor and manage safety stock levels considering regional demand variations and supply chain lead times. 2. Merchandising Strategy & Assortment Planning Define category-specific merchandising strategies for FMCG (Food, Treats and Healthcare; Grooming and Cleaning Aids) and Non-FMCG (Wear, Play, Walk, Eat and Accessories). Manage the large SKU portfolio (5000+ SKUs) by curating an optimal assortment tailored to regional preferences and store formats (Store Size Fooall – Price Point). Plan and execute merchandising calendars aligned with lifestyle seasonal collections (Autumn-Winter, Spring-Summer) and timely Monsoon & Festive launches for lifestyle categories. Collaborate with supply chain, visual merchandising and marketing teams to ensure smooth new product launches and collection rollouts across stores. Ensure VM standards and product placements optimize customer experience and sales conversion. 3. Data-Driven Business Analysis & Performance Monitoring Leverage sales data, market trends, and customer insights to identify growth opportunities, SKU rationalization, and category expansion. Use SKU-level analytics to evaluate product lifecycle performance and take corrective actions on slow-moving or non-performing items. Generate regular performance reports for inventory turns, sales trends, stock-outs, markdowns, and promotional effectiveness. 4. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Work closely with supply chain, marketing and business teams to align retail planning with operational capabilities and financial targets. Coordinate with the warehouse and logistics teams to streamline distribution planning and reduce lead times. Manage relationships with cross functional teams to manage lead times and improve product availability. 5. Team Leadership & Capability Building Lead and develop a team of retail planners / category planners, merchandisers, and inventory analysts, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Implement training and development programs to enhance category knowledge, data literacy, and merchandising skills within the team. 6. Innovation & Continuous Improvement Identify and drive process improvements leveraging technology and automation in retail planning and merchandising workflows. Stay updated on retail trends, competitor activities, and customer behaviour to keep the The merchandising approach is competitive and innovative. Pilot new concepts for category expansion, promotional formats, and assortment customization in select regions/stores. Qualifications & Skills/What You Need Bachelor’s degree in administration / retail management / supply chain related field. Postgraduate Diploma in Retail Merchandising / Planning and Marketing is preferred for advanced education. Additional certification courses around Retail planning, Retail merchandising, Inventory management (APICS/CPIM), Data analytics or business intelligence. Hands on experience with ERP and retail planning and distribution tools (automation) Minimum 10-12 years of progressive work experience in retail planning and merchandising or category management function. With relevant experience of 5+ years leading the function. Experience of managing a wide network of multi category retail stores, demonstrated ability to lead teams and cross teams’ collaboration. Bonus points for being a pet parent and having knowledge of pet product trends, customer preferences, and category drivers. You will feel right at home with us if: You have strong communication and collaboration skills. You are passionate about pets and love innovating.