OverviewThe Merchandise Planner owns end-to-end demand forecasting, inventory planning, and replenishment execution for The Vitamin Shoppe's Amazon channel. This role is responsible for maintaining optimal weeks of supply targets, ensuring timely inbound replenishment, and proactively supporting sales growth across all SKU tiers within the Amazon marketplace
The ideal candidate is highly analytical, detail-oriented, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment where data-driven decisions directly impact revenue, margin, and customer experience. They will serve as the single point of accountability for Amazon inventory health and will integrate into the broader enterprise inventory cadence.
Responsibilities- Own end-to-end demand planning for Amazon (FBA), building and maintaining SKU-level forecasts using historical trends, seasonality, promotional calendars, and market signals; incorporate Amazon-specific drivers such as advertising impact, deal events, and organic rank dynamics.
- Continuously evaluate forecast accuracy, bias, and model performance; refine assumptions and inputs to improve precision and responsiveness to demand shifts.
- Drive end-to-end replenishment execution, including purchase order planning, supplier coordination, and inbound shipment management to Amazon fulfillment centers; proactively manage lead times, delays, and variability.
- Develop and execute demand and inventory strategies for key events (Prime Day, BFCM, seasonal peaks), ensuring early readiness through aligned forecasts, inventory positioning, and capacity planning.
- Monitor and analyze performance through key metrics (In-Stock %, WOS, Inventory Turns, Fulfillment %, Aged Inventory); identify risks and opportunities and take corrective action to protect service levels and profitability.
- Maintain a forward-looking risk framework, identifying and mitigating issues such as supply delays, demand volatility, capacity constraints, and competitive pricing pressures.
- Perform unit economics and profitability analysis to ensure inventory decisions align with margin targets and financial goals.
- Partner cross-functionally with Merchandise Planning, Merchandising, Private Brands, Finance, and Operations to align Amazon inventory strategies with broader business objectives using an S&IOP approach.
- Leverage Relex, Amazon Seller Central, and BI tools to generate insights, improve decision-making, and enhance planning efficiency; identify opportunities to automate reporting, forecasting inputs, and workflows.
- Manage product lifecycle transitions, including phase-in and phase-out strategies, to optimize inventory flow and minimize obsolescence.
QualificationsSkill and Ability: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Analytics, Statistics, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- 4-6 years of experience in demand planning, merchandise planning or inventory management, with direct Amazon FBA or marketplace experience strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize large data sets into actionable insights.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
- Hands-on experience with Amazon Seller Central (strongly preferred).
- Working knowledge of Relex or other demand planning/replenishment systems preferred.
- Outstanding organizational skills with superior attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and shift between projects without a loss of overall quality.
- Proactive mindset with a bias toward action; identifies risks early and proposes solutions before they impact sales.
