Flora Bendt, fashion demand planner
Flora works as a fashion demand planner for a global travel retailer – the people who run duty free shops in airports, cruise liners and beyond. Based in Switzerland, Flora’s role is very much part of the business side of fashion retail, analysing stats to make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so that the business can meet customer demand worldwide.
What does a fashion demand planner do?
Planning of seasonal open-to-buy budgets and sales forecasting, ownership of international Weekly Sales and Stock reports (WSSIs) and seasonal sell through reports, monitor and highlight obsolete stock with cost effective liquidation action proposals (clearance of old seasonal stock through outlet channels, third party, return to vendors), and I take part in some International Fashion Best Practice Training – educating international team members in ways of working for fashion department.
What does your job involve on a day-to-day basis?
I’ll be preparing and analysing performance indicators for internal and external vendor presentations, and monitoring sales and stock positions, creating sales and stock reports. In Demand Planning, we make sure to highlight opportunities to liquidate obsolete stock which has a negative impact on our cash flow. Also I stay in contact with local buying teams to receive feedback on sales and stock as well as IT related topics like double checking correct set up of assortments in the ERP system.
How did you get started in this line of work? What’s your educational/work background?
I have a university MSc degree in International Business and Trade, so no specific preparation for fashion retail industry. I started first in a tobacco buying team, took the opportunity to internally change to fashion department in which I have been working as demand planner for past three years. In total, I have four years’ experience in international retail.
Did you always want to work in fashion?
I never had that branch of retail on my radar really, though I had been working part time as sales personell in fashion retail during my studies. My studies prepared me more for consultancy related work.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Fashion is reinventing itself constantly and so does the fashion retail business. Changing seasons, vendors, agreements and shops make this work environment dynamic and anything but boring, of course this joy only comes with the will to deep dive into numbers and understand the story behind performance indicators when working in demand planning. Time sensitivity of diligent sales and stock planning and stock liquidation can be stressful but also means that work tasks can be ticked off your to do list once done. Communicating with buyers, finance and operations makes this position a good blend of an internal controlling and communicating function. Finally, the financial insight I got into fashion retail and business figures in general is priceless.
And what’s the hardest part?
Creating and running reports means you have to constantly try to gather as much qualitative information from buyers and operations as possible in order to understand reasons for over and under performance. Unfortunately it is easy to become detached from the products themselves as demand planning looks at the business from eagle eye view and doesn’t physically have to visit stores.
What skills and qualities do you feel are important to do your job?
Enjoy working with figures and have a strong analytic approach. Good communicator and mediator between involved departments. Strong Excel skills, which can quickly be learned. Affinity with the retail industry. Team player. Accuracy and attention to detail. Good Problem solver. Flexible.
What’s your advice for young people hoping to pursue a career in fashion?
Ask yourself what your motives are to work in fashion, and whether they have both the potential to inspire you in the long run as well as they coincide with the position you are looking for. Constantly update your knowledge of fashion brands and segments, business models, store concepts, supply chain models and first and foremost financial key indicators. Proving financial and business understanding during an interview definitely leaves a positive impression of your capabilities. Good luck!
