No ** Questa Rey, Wilgeheuwel, Johannesburg South Africa

Mobile +27-73-661-**** adb6jn@r.postjobfree.com

https://za.linkedin.com/in/cassiusmasunda

Skype: cassius. masunda

Cassius Masunda

Objective

Merchandise Planner, Category Manager, Buyer, Inventory Analyst.

Synopsis of my self

I am a passionate, goal oriented, strategic and analytical planning and buying professional with strong commercial acumen with more than 5-year experience in category management. I strive well under pressure, can work in teams and independently.

Areas of Competency

Sales Forecasting

OTB Management & Budgeting

Seasonality& Trends

Buying& Allocations

Markdowns

Inventory Management

Size Curves Analysis

KPIs Management

Team Management

Reporting

Seasonal launches

Competitor Analysis

Brand Management

Supplier Management

Ranging& Assortment

Pricing Strategies

Education

Advanced Programs in Strategic Sourcing& Supply Chain Management UNISA June10-Dec 11

Bachelor of Business Administration MANCOSA Jan 06-Dec 09

Computer literacy

Trader Retail Management System

Just Enough Replenishment System

Dolfin Retail Management System

Cube

MS Office

Work Experience

Senior Merchandise Planner/Buyer April 16 -current The Cross Trainer Johannesburg, South Africa

Department: Footwear, Apparel& Accessories.

Portfolio Size: R550 Million

Key Deliverables

Creating a seasonal range plan of ideal category, subcategory and item mix to create an optimum assortment to deliver budget.

Manage seasonal open to buy (OTB) and monthly intake plan and budgets.

Replenish core and fashion lines in line with open to buy targets and allocating stock to stores and ensuring balance in assortment between core, newness and aspirational products.

Reforecasting sales every week to align stock levels.

Manage merchandise key metrics (KPIs) i.e. sales, purchases, margin, order fill rate, forward cover, turn ratios, and GMROI.

Manage WSSI, range planning to ensure the company objectives are met in terms of sales and stock holding in stores

Post seasonal planning and in-season management.

Review and revise department/class plans monthly a to implement any revisions.

Performing analyses on gross margins by store, categories and sub-categories of products based on historical data, qualitative feedbacks from local team, information on novelties

Searching and negotiating the best deal and value in the marketplace to ensure that we are priced below competition.

Pursuing new vendors, concepts, items and trends to set us apart from the competition.

Monitoring seasonal budget performance against plan and reforecast considering past performance & trends for Sales, Opening and Closing Stocks and monthly Inflows/Open to buy (monthly).

Gather market intelligence and analyzing inventory performance by department, brand, colour, gender and size to ensure that business carries correct merchandise mix at optimum levels to achieve turnover, margin and closing stock targets.

Analyzing best and worst sellers and recommend strategies to improve performance.

Plan and build new store stock packages.

Manage the product life cycle, planning discontinuations and stock clearance.

Communicating financial results, forecasts and action plans to senior management and cross-functional team on a weekly basis.

Compiling daily, weekly, monthly performance reports to management

Developing and executing various merchandise strategies, brand management, seasonal launches, supplier performance management, pricing, promotions, range selection, and trend analysis.

Analyzing competitor’s activities to identify range composition, options and prices.

Interacting with VM & store teams on execution of product mix, call-outs, fixtures and launches

Achievements

Increased group turnover by +19% consecutively from the month of Jan 2017 to date.

Optimized inventory levels by 8% in Q1 2017.

Cut the open to buy for non-performing categories by 12% in Q3 and Q4 2016 through intensive performance analysis by category and department.

Reduced markdowns by 15% in 6-month period Q1 2017

Increase Group margin to 48.75 % vs 46.2% Q1 2017 and 2016 same period.

Increase supplier order fill rate by 15% as from Q1 2016 to date through regular engagements and performance reviews.

Facilitated new store openings in terms of model stock level, brans in relation to planograms.

Grew Group market share in South Africa by 10% in 2017, Jan to date in the sporting retailing.

Trained junior Planners. Buyers and store Managers on Negotiation skills and basic retailing merchandize planning.

Created tailored reporting templates for reporting, inventory replenishments, distribution, markdowns, price changes and stores stock modeling for the group.

Senior Merchandise Planner Jun 2015 – Mar 2016 Options Clothing Gaborone Botswana

Departments: Apparel, Footwear& Accessories

Key Deliverables

Developed and executed product assortment and inventory plans for multiple department

Forecast and address merchandise demands and sales opportunities efficiently.

Created & managed monthly open to buy forecast against plan dimensions adjust plans accordingly

Replenished core and non replinishable lines and allocating stock on weekly basis, based on store grading.

Manage allocation process.

Analyzed competitor activities to ascertain brand positioning, pricing, market share growth potentials and forward planning.

Collaborated with buyers in seasonal line and promotion planning processes to ensure optimal stock levels in store all times (merchandise strategies)

Monitoring best and worst sellers.

Analyzed aged stock and recommend liquidation strategies.

Monitored business set KPIs, i.e. sales, margin, stock, and purchases.

Managed merchandise coordination teams and visiting stores

Achievements

Grew market shares in key categories, Men’s and Ladies footwear 15% and Accessories 7% in Q3, LY.

Optimized inventory levels of non-profitable categories, boys’ footwear and girls’ apparel.

Reducing aged stock from 26% down to 8% through various inventory optimization strategies.

Markdowns went down by 8% vs. LY Q3 in 2015

Developed core replenishing and post seasonal review templates.

Optimized brand count from 90 to 60 through detailed brand sales performance analysis by SKU in LY Q1 in 2015 at Options Clothing.

Exceeded sales plan by 20% vs. LY Q3 and increased quarterly profits by R3m vs. plan LY Q3 in 2015.

Merchandise Planner June 12- May 15 Hi Fi Corp, Johannesburg South Africa

Departments: Cellular, Softwear and Accessories

Key Deliverables

Forecast in-season sales and inventories on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.

Reviewed of forecast against actuals and re-forecast where there are imbalances in sales and stocks.

Managed Open to buy (O.T.B) to achieve set KPIs (Sales, purchases, inventory and margin)

Replenished seasonal, core and promotion lines and allocated stock from distribution centers.

Manage suppliers, trend analysis competitor analysis, managed teams, and reviewed ranges, planned markdowns, store visits, post seasonal planning and reporting.

Collaborated with buyers on promotion line selection and pre-seasonal planning.

Achievements

Exceeded sales budget by 12% in Q3,2014

Reduced stock levels by 5% from R25million toR23.75 million Q4 vs. LY 2014

Grew Accessories category by 8% and Softwear by 25% in Q3, 2014.

Saved the company R9 million in inventory costs vs. LY Q3 through various inventory optimization exercises

Reduced back backorders from R500k to R80 a month LY Q4 in 2015

Increased stock turn by 46% from 2.2 to 4.8 times, Q3, 2014.

Merchandise Coordinator May 10-May 12 Hi Fi Corp, Johannesburg South Africa

Key Deliverables

Assisted senior Buyers and category heads in range selection and assortments,

Replenished Inventory and allocated inventory from multiple distribution centres

Forecasted consumer buying patterns based on sales trends.

Managed stock levels of the department and assisted to preparing financial plans.

Jan 05- April 10 Senior Sales Consultant Hi Fi Corp, Johannesburg

Facilitated product training in stores, executed merchandising strategies (promotions and pricing), customer services and general administration.

Personal Skills

Numerical &Retail Math skills

Negotiation& presenting skills

Multi-tasking & Initiative

Analytical &Leadership skills

Memberships

Institute of Business Analysts South Africa

Assortment Planning Group

Fashion and Apparel Merchandising Planning Group.

Referee available upon request.

Contact this candidate