Rohit Kumar
Gurgaon,India
Summary
Dynamic Retail Planner with extensive experience at Lacoste, excelling in merchandise financial planning and inventory management. Proven track record in driving sales growth and optimizing markdown strategies. Adept at demand forecasting and fostering team collaboration, delivering actionable insights that enhance category performance and support strategic business decisions.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Retail Planner
Lacoste
Gurgaon, India
01.2021 - Current
- Led end-to-end merchandise and financial planning for assigned categories, driving strategic initiatives to achieve sales, margin, and inventory targets.
- Analyzed historical data, market trends, and customer insights to inform pre-season planning, in-season optimization, and future buying strategies.
- Collaborated with Buying, Merchandising, and Supply Chain teams to align on assortment, pricing, and promotional calendars.
- Owned demand forecasting and inventory planning across multiple channels, improving stock availability while reducing excess inventory.
- Presented performance reviews and forward-looking strategies to senior leadership, influencing key business decisions.
- Oversaw product lifecycle management, including new launches, replenishment planning, markdown optimization, and exit strategies.
- Tracked and reported on KPIs (e.g., sell-through, margin, weeks of supply, GMROI), delivering actionable insights to improve category performance.
- Led planning for new store launches, including assortment planning, initial allocations, and sales projections.
- Mentored and coached junior planners, fostering a high-performing, data-driven team environment.
- Partnered with finance and leadership to support Open-to-Buy (OTB) management and mid-season reforecasting.
Retail planner & merchandiser
Future group- Big Bazaar
Gurgaon, India
10.2013 - 01.2021
- Developed and managed merchandise and budget plans aligned with business goals, ensuring financial efficiency and strategic allocation.
- Supported category growth by contributing to data-driven merchandising strategies and assortment planning.
- Implemented pricing and margin optimization strategies, resulting in improved profitability.
- Conducted market research to guide product selection, pricing, and promotional planning.
- Negotiated with suppliers to secure favorable terms and enhance product assortments.
- Maintained and analyzed sales, inventory, and sell-through reports to support strategic decision-making.
- Delivered product range presentations to store teams, aligning them with key merchandising priorities and promotional focuses.
- Spearheaded the successful launch of 30+ stores across India, managing end-to-end merchandising and operational readiness.
- Conducted store visits to implement VM rollouts, ensuring optimal product placement and visual compliance.
- Partnered with the Visual Merchandising team to design store layouts that elevated customer experience and sales performance.
- Led staff training on product displays, VM standards, and report analysis to drive in-store execution and commercial focus.
Retail Operations Manager
Big Bazaar
Agra, India
01.2011 - 09.2013
- Oversaw four departments and led a team of 15 members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
- Monitored and managed store EBITDA and departmental EBITDA as key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive retail operational efficiency and profitability.
- Ensured adherence to visual merchandising guidelines in alignment with the Merchandise Presentation Manual (MPM) and display plans to drive sales.
- Maintaining seasonal window & sharing feedback to respective team.
- Monitored individual sales performance metrics for team members, providing timely feedback and guidance to implement corrective actions as needed.
- Established team-based and product-specific sales targets, fostering accountability and driving performance across the department.
- Developed staff schedules based on peak and non-peak hours to optimize team coverage and enhance customer service.
- Delivered product training to staff, equipping them with the knowledge to improve customer engagement and sales performance.
- Conducted thorough sell-through analysis to optimize inventory levels and maximize revenue.
- Tracked impulse product sales to increase average basket size, enhancing overall store profitability.
- Focused on managing slow-moving and fast-moving items to maintain a healthy stock cover and meet customer demand.
- Coordinated with warehouse and front-end category teams to ensure optimal stock levels and timely replenishments, enhancing inventory management.
Team leader & Team member
Big Bazaar
Agra, India
06.2006 - 12.2011
- Progressed from Team Member Trainee to Team Leader, managing various departments including Customer Service Desk, Warehouse, Ladies wear, Menswear, Toys, and General merchandise.
- Managed warehouse operations, including vehicle planning and unloading, while coordinating effectively with store teams and suppliers to streamline logistics and optimize inventory flow.
Education
MBA -
NMIMS
09.2020
Skills
- Merchandise financial planning
- Assortment planning
- Inventory management
- Demand forecasting
- Markdown and promotion planning
- Store and channel planning
- Advanced Excel
- TXT planning
- SAP
- Manthan
- Store operations
- Warehouse operations
Accomplishments
- Leadership Academy participant selected as one of 60 candidates identified as potential future leaders, actively engaging in mentorship, coaching, and training aligned with organizational needs.
- Chairman's Club Member: Chosen as an esteemed member of the 'Chairman's Club - Future Leaders,' collaborating with CEOs and Managing Directors, including Mr. Kishore Biyani in supporting the organization's vision.
- Comprehensive training: Successfully completed rigorous screening, online tests, and training conducted by People Metrics, a leading consulting firm.
- Professional development: Enhanced skills through online courses provided by Skillsoft Corp, focusing on performance support and professional growth.
Activities
- Led cross-functional planning workshops to align buying, VM, and supply chain teams on seasonal launch calendars.
- Organized store audit and merchandising excellence programs across regions to drive operational consistency.
- Mentored junior planners and store staff, promoting skill development in planning tools, data analysis, and visual execution.
- Initiated SOP documentation for new store openings, streamlining processes for merchandising and operations.
- Volunteer member of the internal culture and engagement committee, organizing team-building activities and knowledge-sharing sessions.
- Participated in retail tech pilot programs, testing and providing feedback on new planning tools (e.g., TXT upgrades, SAP modules).
- Supported CSR-driven store events, promoting community engagement, and in-store traffic growth.
- Actively involved in visual merchandising training rollouts across multiple regions, enhancing customer experience.
Timeline
Retail Planner
Lacoste
01.2021 - Current
Retail planner & merchandiser
Future group- Big Bazaar
10.2013 - 01.2021
Retail Operations Manager
Big Bazaar
01.2011 - 09.2013
Team leader & Team member
Big Bazaar
06.2006 - 12.2011
MBA -
NMIMS