Experienced Sales Administrator | Assistant Merchandiser | Stock Planning | Forecasting | Buying & Supply Chain
Location: Lancashire
Availability: Available for suitable opportunities
Target Roles: Sales Administrator | Assistant Merchandiser | Merchandiser | Stock Planner | Merchandise Administrator | Buying Administrator | Supply Chain Administrator | Stock Controller | Commercial Administrator
Candidate Overview
An experienced and highly analytical Sales Administrator, Assistant Merchandiser and Stock Planning professional with over 28 years of experience within the mail order and retail industry.
Based in Lancashire, this candidate offers extensive expertise across stock forecasting, inventory management, sales analysis, purchase ordering, supplier management, logistics and commercial reporting, developed through a long-standing career with one of the UK’s established mail order retailers.
With responsibility for managing stock levels across approximately 4,000 products, they have developed an exceptional understanding of demand planning, stock availability and the relationship between sales performance, purchasing and customer demand.
Highly organised and numerically capable, they are confident analysing complex data, producing management reports and working to strict deadlines. Their experience also includes significant collaboration with buying, warehouse, operations, accounts and suppliers, giving them a strong understanding of the wider supply chain.
Key Skills & Expertise
• Sales Administration
• Assistant Merchandising
• Stock Planning
• Stock Forecasting
• Demand Planning
• Inventory Management
• Sales Analysis
• Commercial Analysis
• Purchase Ordering
• Supplier Management
• Buying Support
• Stock Availability
• Supply Chain Administration
• Logistics Coordination
• Intake Management
• Warehouse Capacity Planning
• Order Management
• Shipment Tracking
• Management Reporting
• Data Analysis
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• SAGE 50
• WASP
• APTOS
• Microsoft Office 365
Career Highlights
Sales Administrator – Trading & Distribution
Currently working within a trading business, supporting the sales operation through sales order management, stock monitoring, shipment tracking and commercial reporting.
Responsibilities include inputting and maintaining sales orders using SAGE 50, liaising with operations, accounts and warehouse teams and monitoring shipments from the Far East and USA.
Also provides stock information to the buying team, identifying potential future stock requirements and producing analytical reports to support the Sales Director and wider team.
This role provides valuable additional experience across sales administration, stock management, international logistics and commercial analysis.
Assistant Merchandiser – Major Mail Order Retailer
Spent almost 29 years within a major mail order retail environment, progressing into an experienced Assistant Merchandiser role with responsibility for stock planning and merchandising across approximately 4,000 products.
Responsible for accurate sales forecasting, trend analysis, stock level management and forward demand calculations, ensuring the business maintained appropriate stock levels without unnecessary surplus or shortages.
Placed high-volume purchase orders with suppliers across the UK and Far East, monitored deliveries and proactively chased suppliers to ensure stock arrived in line with customer requirements.
Worked closely with buying teams during regular selection meetings, providing recommendations and agreeing seasonal estimates based on sales data and commercial trends.
Also managed intake planning and warehouse capacity requirements, taking proactive action to ensure stock levels remained aligned with operational capacity.
Supply Chain & Logistics Experience
Alongside the core merchandising role, held an additional Collations Coordinator position for many years, managing logistics for internal and external contract packaging work.
Responsibilities included:
• Transport planning and bookings
• Moving stock between warehouses
• Reserving stock for despatch
• Booking deliveries
• Coordinating packaging requirements
• Managing launch deadlines
• Ensuring products were available for sale on time
Successfully took over the role after only two weeks of training, subsequently improving inefficient paper-based processes by transferring them to electronic systems.
Key Achievements
A particularly strong example of commercial and analytical thinking was the creation of a bespoke container-load calculation tool, helping the business optimise shipments and reduce Less than Container Load (LCL) charges.
This demonstrates the candidate’s ability to identify inefficiencies, analyse processes and develop practical solutions that deliver measurable commercial benefits.
What This Candidate Offers
This candidate offers an exceptional depth of experience within merchandising, stock planning and mail order retail, supported by strong numerical, analytical and administrative skills.
Their greatest strengths are forecasting, stock management, sales analysis, purchasing, supplier coordination and attention to detail.
Having worked across the entire stock journey — from forecasting and purchasing through to international shipping, warehouse capacity and customer availability — they have a particularly strong understanding of how different areas of a retail and supply chain operation connect.
They would be particularly valuable to an organisation looking for an experienced, dependable and commercially aware merchandising or stock planning professional who can work independently while collaborating effectively with buying, sales, warehouse, operations and finance teams.
Ideal Roles
Assistant Merchandiser | Merchandiser | Stock Planner | Merchandise Administrator | Buying Administrator | Stock Controller | Supply Chain Administrator | Commercial Administrator | Sales Administrator
Ideal Sectors
Retail | Mail Order | E-commerce | Wholesale | Distribution | Consumer Goods | Manufacturing | Supply Chain | Import & Export | Logistics
Systems & Software
Microsoft Excel – Advanced | Microsoft Word | Outlook | SAGE 50 | WASP Warehouse & Supplier Portal | APTOS Ordering System | Mainframe Systems
Education
ECDL – European Computer Driving Licence – Burnley College
Office Technology – Word & Excel – Accrington & Rossendale College
Recruitment Enquiries
For further information about this experienced Assistant Merchandiser and Stock Planning professional, or to discuss their suitability for your merchandising, supply chain, buying or stock management vacancy, please contact Perfect Recruitment.
Info@perfect-recruitment.co.uk
31464871
