The document outlines the annual cycle and responsibilities of a retail planning and merchandizing analytics department. It involves 7 phases: 1) setting financial budgets and goals for the year, 2) developing a pre-market merchandizing plan, 3) in-market business reviews and negotiations, 4) post-market analysis of what was cut and sold, 5) managing ongoing in-season sales, 6) providing ad-hoc analysis to support decisions, and 7) annual closing including financial reporting. The department collaborates across finance, sales, marketing, production and design to develop plans, analyze performance, and support strategic decision making.

1. Financial
Budget
Goals
Pre-
Market
Merchandi
zing Plan
In-Market
Business
Reviews
Post-
Market
Cut&Sold
Managing
In Season
Sales
In Season
Ad-Hoc
Analysis
Annual
Closing
IT & Other
Projects
Retail Planning and Merchandize
Analytics Department
Cycle Process & Responsibilities

2. Review LY Financial
Results & This Year
Financial Goals
Agree on TY Top
financial #s
(Sales $, Profit Margins)
Sales Channel
(Retail, Dep.Stores,
Incentive Markets, E-
Commerce)
Any new Opportunities?
Cost and time frame
Customer in each Sales
Channel
Risks to:
Existing Customers? Door
Exits? Margin Drains?
Product Classification
Silhouette, Style & SKU
(includes LDP, Gross Price,
MSRP, Units)
Injected New
Opportunities
Market Research on:
Competition, Innovations,
Risks & Opportunities
Phase 1: Set Up TY Financial Budget Goals
Collaboration with: Finance, Design, Merchandizing, Sales, Marketing
Present In Depth Financial Budget Goals to: Top Management, Finance, Sales, Merchandize Planning, Design
Project Next 3-5 Years: Sales Growth and Profits
% out by:

3. Bottom UP: Silhouette,
Class, Style, SKU Levels
Market Seasonal Fashion
Trends and Basic
Programs
Fashion Injections, Exit
Programs
% & $ by:
Season, Qtrs., Fashion &
Basic Programs
Factory capacity and
delivery risks?
Pricing Review
Anticipates Customer
Negotiations?
Marketing Initiatives and
costs
Current and Future
inventory Levels
Projections
Phase 2: Pre-Market Merchandizing Plan
Collaboration with: Design, Merchandizing, Marketing, Sales
Present Merchandizing Plans to: Design and Merchandizing teams. Open table conversations & revisions
Based on:

4. Business Reviews &
Market Negotiations
Business Review with
Customers:
Where we’ve been and
where we are going
TY vs Plan and LY:
Financials, Opportunities
& Risks
Proposals by:
Each Region, Door,
Classification, Delivery
New Territories to
Explore? New Programs
to roll out
OTB Roll-up
Set up TY Annual & 2 year
forward projected OTB by
each customer
On Going Roll-Ups of
Customer Commitments:
Projecting Market Success
Market last Minute Ad-
Hoc Analysis
Phase 3: In-Market
Collaboration with: Sales
Prepare market Exit Results: financial and product commitments, injections, drops
Tasks:

5. Cut & Sold Roll-Up
(style/sku level
purchasing)
Roll Up all Style & Sku
commitments
Get ready to pass them to
production team
Review Commitments vs
Financial Plans
Sales $, Class %, Margin $
Current and Future
inventory impacts
What is the new
inventory WOS? New Cost
log
Propose Style & Fabric
Commitments
Production conversations
and outstanding issues
Phase 4: Post-Market Cut&Sold (global)
Collaboration with: Sales and Production
PASS Collection to Production Team
Based on:

6. Weekly + Monthly + QTR
Reports
Style/SKU Weekly Selling
reports
Sell-thru, units, WOS,
rolling profit margins
Monthly Review of Best
and Worst in Season
Sellers
Meetings with Design to
set up future design
guide
Monthly Regional & by
Door Sales – what works
where
Is there regionality effect
– need to transfer
inventory between
stores?
Weekly Inventory Track
& Review
Recommend Inventory
transfers, markdowns,
clearances
Weekly Managing OTB
financials
Current Sales, Margins,
Markdowns Projections
& Financial Impacts
Phase 5: Managing In Season Sales
Collaboration with: Sales, Finance, Design
Live Financial Forecasting: monthly business review and 12 months forward sales/profit forecast update

7. Other Reports
Monthly Production
Issues
Delivery issues, unit fall-
outs
Raw goods inventory
issues
Tracking costs & forward
factory negotiation
based on need
Market Research
Opportunities and
innovations. Working
with outside market
reports. Upper
management
Presentations
Long-term strategies
Quarterly board
meetings & financial
markets guidance
Customer Map
In depth knowledge of
our customer.
Aspirational vs Actual
Phase 6: In Season Ad-Hoc Analysis
Collaboration with: Sales, Production, Finance
Managing in-season business & supporting analytical needed of other department for smarter decisions
making

8. Review Annual Results
(Sales $, Profit Margins)
Sales Channel Review
& Company SWOT
Qtr. & Annual
Customer Review
Top 20% of Customers
bring in 80% Profits:
who are the top 10?
Merchandizing
Opportunities
Emerging Silhouettes
and New Programs
Pricing Strategies –
what worked what
didn’t
Customer &
Competition Maps
Combine internal NPD data
and research with the
accounts market research to
get a better understanding
of the market place and the
consumer
Phase 7: Annual Closing
Collaboration with: Finance, Design, Merchandizing, Sales, Marketing
End of Quarter and EOY Presentations

9. IT Initiatives
Preview, Test, Launch IT
systems
Work with vendors on
company’s analytical and
buying IT needs
(i.e. Microstrategy)
Create New Retail Reports
For Sales and Finance use
Department Knowledge
Sessions
Introduce other departments
to:
what we do and how we can
help you
Employee Educational
Programs
Shadow the Supervisor &
Reviews of professional
opportunities
IT & Other Projects
Collaboration with: IT and Finance
Collaborating with other departments: doing a better job with better systems & education