A merchandise plan is your strategic roadmap to ensure you have the right merchandise at the right time—helping you drive sales, maximize cash flow, and build customer loyalty.

At its core, the goal of merchandise planning is to align your inventory with customer demand, so your store is stocked with what your customers want, when they want it.

Data-Driven, Strategically Informed

Every plan we create is grounded in data and supported by thoughtful strategy. Our planning process brings together multiple sources of information to create a customized, educated guide for your business. Here’s what goes into it:

1. Your Historical Data

We look closely at your own store’s sales history—commonly last year (LY) and the year before that (LLY)—to identify trends, successes, and areas for growth.

2. Like Client Comparisons

We compare your store to “like clients”—retailers with similar sales models, product verticals, and regional characteristics. This helps us uncover trends or missed opportunities that might not show up in your own data.

Note: While we use our large client base to identify industry benchmarks, client data is never shared across businesses. Your information stays confidential.

3. Industry Benchmarks

We pull from broad market and category insights to ensure your plan is not only grounded in what’s worked in the past but also aligned with where the market is headed.

Your Input Matters: Planning is a Partnership

A great plan isn’t just about the numbers—it’s also about the unique context of your business. We believe that strong communication creates stronger plans. Here’s how we collaborate with you:

• Website Review: When possible, we review your website to gain insights into your assortment, pricing strategy, and vendor mix.

• Promotions & Markdowns: If you have a promotional calendar or markdown cadence, sharing that helps us better align buying decisions. Don’t have one? We can help build it together.

• Business Context: If events are happening that could impact your sales—like a key vendor discontinuation, store renovations, weather impacts, or special in-store events—sharing that info ensures your plan reflects reality.

Why It Matters

A well-constructed merchandise plan gives you a strong starting point for both pre-season buying and in-season management. With the right plan in place, you can:

• Make confident inventory decisions

• Respond quickly to sales trends

• Avoid overbuying or missed sales opportunities

• Keep your customers happy and coming back

Let’s Build It Together

Your business is unique, and your merchandise plan should be too. Our planners are here to support you with data, insight, and strategy every step of the way.