Store Planner

Position Summary: Store Planner

The Store Planner manages the flow of products to Guitar Center stores in line with assortment strategy and replenishes active assortment to ensure best in class in-stock position. The Store Planner helps build regional, district, and store stocking strategies to assist in strategic allocation of products to drive sales. They will work with merchandise planners to communicate store needs and avoid shortages. They will monitor DC activity and reserves to monitor the progress of stock from DC to store.

Responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to the following:

• Initiate model stock quantities for new product launches in alignment with merchant team strategies, ensuring optimal distribution to the right stores based on historical sales, store tiering, customer demographics, and localized market nuances.
• Monitor sales velocity and inventory health to ensure top-selling items and seasonal gear are consistently in-stock across high-performing stores.
• Customize allocations to reflect regional preferences (e.g., demand for DJ gear in urban locations vs. acoustic instruments in suburban markets).
• Track item-level performance across categories and adjust distribution based on sales trends, product popularity, and market response.
• Identify underperforming or overstocked items and adjust allocation or initiate transfers to maximize turns and minimize markdowns.
• Anticipate allocation needs around key events (e.g., holiday promotions, NAMM launches, BTS season) and exclusive drops.
• Partner with merchandise planners to execute strategies aligned with financial targets and open-to-buy (OTB) plans.
• Communicate store-level trends, product feedback, and regional anomalies to help inform future buys and assortments.
• Work closely with DCs and logistics teams to ensure accurate and timely delivery of products to stores.
• Execute allocation strategies for new openings, remodels, or relocated stores based on projected sales potential and community needs.
• Support exit strategies for discontinued SKUs and aged inventory by reallocating to high-performing clearance locations.
• Leverage tools like Relex, SO99, JDA, and internal platforms to execute order proposals, automated replenishment, and inventory optimization.
• Analyze sales and inventory data using Omni, EDW, Excel, or Power BI to generate actionable insights and influence allocation decisions.
• Support special requests as needed, such as providing detailed analysis of inventory and sales performance at the store level for senior leadership.

Operates retail stores selling musical instruments and providing music lessons.