Merchandise Planner
Summary of the Merchandise Planner test
This Merchandise Planner test evaluates candidates’ quantitative skills and their ability to support the sales and margin goals of the business. This screening test will help you hire merchandise planners capable of developing effective merchandise plans.
Covered skills
Applying retail math concepts
Preparing seasonal plans
Identifying risks and opportunities
Use the Merchandise Planner test to hire
Merchandise planners, product assortment planners, retail planners, inventory managers, and any other roles requiring an intermediate knowledge of merchandise planning.
About the Merchandise Planner test
In today’s highly competitive retail environment, it is paramount that businesses be able to optimally select, manage, display, and price products. A retailer’s goal should be to maximize returns on investment, add value to the brand name and satisfy customer needs – all while avoiding the creation of excess inventory. Hiring a highly qualified merchandise planner can help your retail business achieve these goals.
Candidates with merchandise planner skills can serve as business managers for specific product categories and provide decision-making support for their buying partners in your business. By building sound, well-thought-out seasonal plans, merchandise planners create a framework within which the buyer is able to focus on curating an optimal assortment for the customer.
Retail is a fast-paced and fluid business and requires the ability to constantly evaluate and adjust, based on results. Analytical acumen is important. This Merchandise Planner test will assess the candidate’s comfort level in applying retail math concepts to building weekly and monthly business plans that incorporate key retail metrics such as sales, markup, gross margin, and inventory turnover. It also evaluates candidates’ ability to prepare seasonal plans and identify risks and opportunities for your business.
Candidates who perform well on this Merchandise Planner test will have a strong grasp of retail mathematical concepts and how to leverage these concepts to present revised business scenarios under the theory “The plan is wrong as soon as it is submitted.” This screening test will help you hire merchandise planners who can help your retail business reduce stock holdings and react quickly to new trends.
The test is made by a subject-matter expert
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Paul H.
Paul has over 30 years of experience in retail, with a career at companies like Federated Stores, Limited Brands and Burlington Stores. Paul’s areas of expertise include merchandise planning, retail strategy and planning systems. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Wharton School of Business, University Of Pennsylvania.
Paul is currently enjoying his best life in retirement in Porto, Portugal with his wife Robin, his children Alexander and Sophia and the family dog, Shadow.
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FAQs
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The Merchandise Planner test will be included in a PDF report along with the other tests from your assessment. You can easily download and share this report with colleagues and candidates.