Allocation Analyst

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of an allocation organization and implement new tools and systems for a growing home décor business.

The Allocation Analyst is responsible for controlling inventories at the store and cluster level by department/class/SKU to ensure the department meets and exceeds sales and margin plans.

Provide analysis to the buying and planning team on product categories and make recommendations on assortments and allocation processes.

Collaborate with buyers and planners to develop and communicate a comprehensive assortment planning and allocation strategy that aligns financial and product goals by department/class

Manage the pre-receiving review of styles to ensure allocations to the stores are in line with the assortment and allocation plan

Provide in-season analysis to make allocation adjustments based on individual store and cluster performance to maximize sales and inventory productivity

Hindsight post-season performance of sales, sell through, and profitability by store and cluster to assist merchant, planning, and sourcing partners on buy quantification and case pack guardrails for future seasons

Review basket analysis and rate of sale by product type to determine store minimum allocation quantities

Support the successful implementation of new systems and processes

Establish volume groups by class and product category for assortment planning and allocation purposes

Build store attributes to understand specific market/store needs utilizing data to drive market segment purchases and allocations

Review inventory levels and store rankings by department/class, and develop strategies to optimize inventory with new receipts and replenishment

Build opening assortments for new stores based on sales and inventory goals

Track and prioritize receipts and inventory flow through the DC to the stores

Execute all system requirements to allocate product and report recommendations to maximize sales and inventory opportunities

Participate in local store visits to monitor the impact of allocations and gain field feedback

Collaborate with peers to ensure consistency of information, share best practices and develop systems knowledge.

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with members of cross-functional team

Partner with Store Operations to review store notes and communication.

Provide action-oriented feedback to support individual store issues.

Coordinate with the Store Field Team, Supply Chain, and Accounting to perform store-to-store transfers as needed

Maintain and communicate weekly reporting on store performance and in-stock rates.

Review future receipt flow and provide proactive recommendations to maintain baseline in-stock expectations across all store clusters.

Provide ad-hoc analysis as required

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, relevant experience required

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret data and make actionable recommendations

Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Excel; demonstrated ability to quickly learn and adapt to new systems and technical applications

Working knowledge of retail key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Sales, Inventory, Receipts, Sell-Through, Store Productivity/Index, and Gross Margin preferred

Experience with retail planning or allocation systems (e.g., JDA, Oracle Retail Planning Optimization) preferred

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present insights and recommendations

Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with cross-functional partners

Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced, changing environment

Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks

High sense of urgency, accuracy, and attention to detail