Skills & Competencies for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

Merchandise Planner, Sr. job profile

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JOB SUMMARY for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

Plans and forecasts for future merchandise buys based on historical buys, reoccurring buys and current inventory levels.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

Responsible for reviewing stock to sales ratios, responding to changing sales trends, and ensuring plan sales, plan markups, and plan markdowns are achieved by departments.

Merchandise Planner, Sr. SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$101,534
TOTAL 50%
$105,200
Job Level
P03
Job Code
SM15000261
Education/Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Reports To
Supervisor or Manager

Merchandise Planner, Sr. Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Merchandise Planner, Sr. skill and competencie below to view definitions.
INDUSTRY COMPETENCIES JOB FAMILY COMPETENCIES CORE COMPETENCIES
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5 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

1 Industry Competency – Retail Industry
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Applying comprehensive knowledge of retail principles, inventory management, pricing strategies, and consumer behavior to effectively manage and operate retail businesses.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes the application of upselling, cross-selling, and closing sales techniques in retail operations.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Follows the established merchandising guidelines when organizing product displays and storage.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Conducts regular retail audits to optimize operations, improve performance, and uphold standards.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Guides and mentors the staff in visual merchandising best practices to maintain consistent and high-quality displays.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops and implements new retail business models to enhance the customer experience and foster brand loyalty.
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2 Industry Competency – Merchandising
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Strategically planning, executing, and managing product merchandising, pricing, and promotions to increase customer engagement and maximize revenue.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Defines the legal and ethical considerations for merchandising, such as product labeling requirements.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in arranging product assortments and displays to optimize space and enhance brand visibility.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Conducts regular store visits to ensure proper product allocation, replenishment, and pricing.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates and leverages performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of merchandising strategies.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions the adoption of advanced analytics and predictive modeling tools to optimize inventory turnover.
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3 Merchandise Planner, Sr. - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 5

3 general skills or competencies (Job family competencies) for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

1 Job Family Competencies – Financial Planning
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Allocating financial resources and developing business strategies.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Enters the financial planning data in various software and databases.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects financial information and data to recommend and predict financial planning and operations.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Presents complex financial planning topics in an easy way for the client.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Creates financial scenario models for future business and financial planning decisions.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Champions continuous efforts to improve financial planning.
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2 Job Family Competencies – Promotion
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Developing and implementing promotional activities to attract and increase the awareness of customers in buying products.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Explains the principles of promotion and its importance to the marketing efforts.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Logs schedules for promotions in target accounts.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Helps senior management in developing promotional plans based on the product or service features.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leads the execution of promotional initiatives in accordance with the key metrics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads the development and launching of multiple marketing promotions.
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3 Merchandise Planner, Sr. - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 5

9 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Merchandise Planner, Sr.

1 Core Competencies – Scheduling
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Ability to plan and organize activities, tasks, and resources to achieve business goals and objectives within timeframe and budget.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Names the distinct types of schedules, including conceptual schedules and master schedules.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Selects the appropriate method to schedule appointments, encompassing electronic or written styles.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Verifies the availability of involved participants for scheduled meetings to ensure complete attendance.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Provides workforce management scheduling and load balancing requirements for work peaks.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops standards, metrics, and procedures to maximize scheduling management efficiency.
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2 Core Competencies – Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
Proficiency Level -2
Skill definition-Knowledge of and ability to apply a set of quantifiable measurements to determine how effectively an individual, team or organization is achieving a business objective.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Lists some typical KPIs from own industry, business, and function.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Produces standard and ad-hoc KPI reports following standard procedures.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Maintains an organized data management process to track progress on KPIs.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Leverages the Business Intelligence (BI) technologies and tools for KPI reporting and analysis.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of current organizational KPI architecture.
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3 Merchandise Planner, Sr. - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Merchandise Planner, Sr.
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Merchandise Planner, Sr. skills and competencies

There are 5 hard skills for Merchandise Planner, Sr., Retail Industry, Merchandising, Cost Analysis - Retail, etc.
3 general skills for Merchandise Planner, Sr., Financial Planning, Promotion, Inventory Control.
9 soft skills for Merchandise Planner, Sr., Scheduling, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Budgeting, etc.
While the list totals 17 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Merchandise Planner, Sr., he or she needs to be skilled in Scheduling, be proficient in Key Performance Indicators (KPI), and be proficient in Budgeting.

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