Also called: Assortment Planner, Allocation Analyst
Uses data to decide how much of each product to make and where to send it.
They build spreadsheets forecasting how many red sweaters in size medium each store needs. They track sales weekly and shift inventory to where it's selling. It's the analytical, numbers side of fashion.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in merchandising, business, or analytics.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Fashion Merchandising, Business Analytics, Supply Chain Management.
Growing about average. Steady at large retailers.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI demand forecasting and allocation tools take over routine planning, cutting junior seats; strategy and exceptions stay human.
Classes: AP Statistics, Business or economics, Computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1161.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.