Omnichannel brands bring in Retail Planning Advisors when inventory has become a drag on cash, margin, or growth — and they need senior-level help building the planning discipline to fix it.
The Challenge
For most retailers, inventory problems aren’t buying problems. They’re planning process problems — and they show up everywhere across the operating model.
Too much inventory overall — but not enough of the right products. Capital is trapped in slow movers while service levels suffer where they shouldn’t.
Weak visibility into future receipts, demand shifts, inventory risk, and cash commitments. Leaders are making decisions without a clear picture of where things are headed.
Aged and slow-moving inventory creates markdown exposure that dilutes category profitability and puts chronic pressure on gross margin — quarter after quarter.
Services
Engagements are designed for operators who need clarity, discipline, and action — not a theoretical strategy deck that sits on a shelf.
Diagnose inventory health, process gaps, reporting weaknesses, and the root causes behind missed sales, excess stock, or cash pressure. Delivers a clear view of where the business stands and a concrete picture of what needs to change.
Build the cadence, controls, and decision routines that connect sales, margin, receipts, inventory, and cash flow. OTB isn’t a spreadsheet — it’s a planning rhythm that keeps finance, merchandising, and operations aligned on the same version of reality.
Identify opportunities to improve turns, service levels, sell-through, and markdown exposure at the category level.
Planning technology works best when process, roles, data definitions, and decision routines are already clear. We help define what the business actually needs before selecting or implementing tools — so the technology investment actually delivers.
Approach
It’s usually a planning process problem — one that spans strategy, data, people, tools, and decision cadence. The goal is practical discipline that produces better decisions week after week.
Identify where inventory is out of balance, where the data gaps are, and what’s actually driving the problem — before recommending any fix.
Build the planning framework, OTB model, and reporting cadence that match how the business actually operates and what leadership needs to see.
Work alongside the team to embed new disciplines into weekly operating rhythms — not just document them and hand over a deck.
Refine and strengthen the system over time, so planning becomes a repeatable capability the team owns long after the engagement ends.
Each step turns fragmented inventory conversations into a repeatable operating rhythm leaders can trust.
Retail brands served
Client Results
George delivered an inventory plan, implemented open-to-buy controls, and taught best practices to the buying team that improved inventory productivity by over 25%. He became a trusted advisor and a valued contributor to the senior leadership team.
George brought transformational leadership to inventory management, delivering significant improvements in service levels, turns, and excess inventory. His insights and the team he built were critical to our success.
George is an exceptional partner — knowledgeable, strategic, and collaborative. He brings analytical rigor and sound business judgment to every engagement. I would work with him again without hesitation.
Let’s Talk
Retail Planning Advisors is led by George Schmidt — a senior retail operator with 30+ years of experience across inventory planning, merchandising, ecommerce, and operational transformation.
Built for mid-market brands that need operator-level help without the overhead of a large consulting firm.
george@retailplanningadvisors.comEcommerce · Inventory Planning · Merchandising · OTB Design · DTC · Multichannel