Merchandise Planner

AKIRA Merchandise Planner

In 2002 AKIRA opened the doors to its first womens clothing boutique in Chicago. Since then the company has extended its reach to 40 stores across the United States as well as a thriving eCommerce business (). AKIRA is extremely well-poised for sustained growth as we continue to build a nationally recognized brand.

AKIRAs culture has one very large distinct difference from other high fashion competitors: Other-Worldly Customer Service and Fanatical Obsessive Attention to the consumers needs and desires. The core principle for all employees at AKIRA is to Act and Think Like an Owner and this belief can be reflected across all areas of the company.

The Position: Merchandise Planner

Location: Chicago IL- Full-time Onsite

Position Overview:

AKIRA is seeking a highly analytical and agile Planner to support merchandise financial strategy across assigned categories. This role is responsible for driving sales margin and inventory productivity through disciplined forecasting open-to-buy management and in-season trade execution.

AKIRA operates in a rapid newness cycle with constant product flow and evolving pricing strategies. The Planner must be agile and decisive able to navigate a fast-moving environment while maintaining financial discipline and strong analytical rigor.

This position reports directly to the Planning Manager and works closely with Merchandising Allocation and Finance to ensure inventory investments align with financial targets and brand strategy.

This is a fully onsite role five days per week at our Chicago corporate office.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Develop and maintain weekly monthly and seasonal sales and inventory forecasts by category.

• Manage open-to-buy and receipt flow to align inventory with sales trends and newness cadence.

• Analyze performance against plan and recommend actionable strategies to drive results.

• Support reforecast processes and provide clear visibility into risks and opportunities.

In-Season Trade & Inventory Management

• Monitor sell-through weeks of supply margin and markdown performance.

• Make timely recommendations on pricing promotional activity and markdown cadence.

• Partner with Allocation to ensure appropriate depth and distribution across stores and eCommerce.

• Support inventory rebalancing efforts in a high-SKU environment.

Analytics & Reporting

• Build and maintain reporting that provides visibility into category performance and trends.

• Analyze product lifecycle and newness performance to inform future buys.

• Identify opportunities to improve inventory productivity and forecast accuracy.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Buyers to align financial targets with assortment plans.

• Collaborate with the Planning Manager on category strategy and financial execution.

• Support Finance with forecasting and inventory investment reporting.
  

Qualifications

• 35 years of retail merchandise planning experience (apparel preferred).

• Strong understanding of retail KPIs: sales margin turn sell-through WOS markdown rate.

• Proven ability to operate in a fast-paced retail environment with frequent launches and dynamic markdown activity.

• Advanced Excel skills; experience with planning systems preferred.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to translate data into actionable decisions.

• Highly organized detail-oriented and able to prioritize under tight timelines.

• Strong communication skills and collaborative mindset.
  

Success Metrics

• Achievement of sales margin and inventory productivity targets.

• Improved forecast accuracy and receipt alignment.

• Reduced markdown exposure through proactive trade management.

• Strong partnership with Merchandising and Allocation.
  

Benefits and Perks:
AKIRA offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including Medical Dental Vision Pet Insurance Life LTD FSA/HSA/Dependent Care FSA Flex Transit (CTA) 401(k) and a generous employee discount. Were committed to internal growth providing meaningful development and career advancement opportunities.

Compensation:
At AKIRA we are committed to fair and transparent compensation practices. Compensation for this position will be determined based on experience qualifications and other job-related factors. Additional compensation and benefits may also apply and will be discussed during the hiring process.

Job Type: Full-Time