Travel Retail Demand Planner

I. BUSINESS CONTEXT

Business Context and Operational Challenges

Japan’s Travel Retail market serves a diverse customer base with varying nationalities, travel purposes, and purchasing behaviors, and is significantly influenced by external factors such as fluctuations in passenger traffic, foreign exchange rates, international developments, airline routes and airport operating conditions, and duty-free regulations.

In this highly uncertain environment, Travel Retail Demand Planning serves as a core function by accurately capturing shifts in demand and translating market developments into robust demand forecasts and business plans. By providing a shared demand outlook, it enables timely cross-functional decision-making, supports reliable product supply, maximizes sales opportunities, and contributes to sustainable business growth.

Working in close collaboration with the Travel Retail team, Marketing, Finance, Logistics, and the Global Travel Retail team, this position is responsible for developing and updating demand plans, optimizing inventory, reducing stock-out risks, and conducting cross-functional analysis and reporting required by the Demand Planning team.

The key KPIs are as follows:

• Forecast Accuracy
• Forecast Bias
• Service Level
• Stock-out Rate
• Net Sales Achievement

II. EXISTING AND FUTURE STAKES

Areas of Transformation for the Future

Amid the evolving Travel Retail market environment, the Demand Planning function is expected to deliver more accurate demand forecasts and stronger business insights.

The key areas of transformation are as follows:

Demand Planning Excellence

• Enhance forecast accuracy through cross-functional data analysis aligned with the local market and the use of market insights, including analysis and application of customer- and store-level trends.
• Advance and streamline analysis and forecasting through AI and digital tools, including the development and continuous improvement of forecasting logic.
• Strengthen the early detection of, and response to, demand fluctuations, inventory risks, and supply constraints.

S&OP Maturity Enhancement

• Enhance the S&OP process to reflect the unique demand characteristics of Travel Retail.
• Strengthen decision-making processes with global and local teams.
• Drive scenario planning and risk management.

Supply Chain Agility

• Provide rapid, priority-based coordination support and strengthen response capabilities for risks such as supply constraints, lead-time volatility, and sudden demand surges.

• Reduce lost sales opportunities and excess inventory risk while maintaining healthy inventory levels.

·       Strengthen collaboration with the global supply chain.

Business Partnership

• Support management decision-making by providing data-driven demand and supply insights.
• Identify and propose business growth opportunities by category, channel, customer, and store.
• Provide Travel Retail management with business performance updates, outlooks, and actionable insights.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Demand Forecasting & Business Planning

• Develop, update, and manage demand forecasts for the overall Travel Retail business.
• Develop demand forecasts incorporating sales performance, passenger trends, market and competitor insights, promotional plans, and new product plans.
• Prepare monthly forecasts and ensure alignment with the business plan.
• Continuously analyze Forecast Accuracy and Forecast Bias and drive improvement initiatives.

S&OP Support

• Establish the monthly S&OP process for Travel Retail and support the consolidation of demand outlooks and underlying assumptions.
• Improve alignment of the demand plan through collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Logistics, and global teams.
• Consolidate risks, opportunities, and assumptions to support decision-making.
• Conduct scenario analyses as needed to support visibility into risks and opportunities.

Supply Coordination

• When supply constraints arise, collaborate with relevant functions and support coordination based on the demand outlook and business priorities.
• Collaborate with the Global Supply Chain team to monitor supply status and assess its impact on the demand plan.

New Product and Exclusivity Management

• Develop demand plans for new products, limited editions, and Travel Retail-exclusive products.
• Monitor demand trends from launch preparation through end of sales and share updates with relevant functions.
• Ensure alignment between product launch plans and demand plans and facilitate the necessary information sharing.

Cross-functional Collaboration, Data Analysis and Reporting

• Collaborate with the Travel Retail Sales team to incorporate sales strategies into the demand plan.
• Collaborate with the Marketing team to incorporate promotional initiatives into demand forecasts.
• Prepare accurate and consistent reports and analytical materials for regular performance reviews and forecast updates with the Marketing team.
• Collaborate with the Logistics team to improve demand plan accuracy by incorporating supply status and lead times.
• Strengthen collaboration with the Global Travel Retail and Global Supply Chain teams.
• Provide management with clear and timely reporting on business performance, outlook, and key issues.

Performance Management & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze and report on key KPIs, including the following metrics:

-Forecast Accuracy

-Forecast Bias

-Service Level

-Sell-through Performance

• Drive business process improvements and the effective use of planning tools.
• Drive the enhancement of Demand Planning capabilities.

Stakeholder Communication

• Clearly communicate the demand outlook and key risks to local and global stakeholders.
• Provide insights that support business decision-making.
• Support the preparation of review materials and the communication of demand outlooks to the Travel Retail Leadership Team.

Key Stakeholders

Local

• Travel Retail Sales Team
• Marketing Team
• Finance Team
• Logistics Team
• Retail Operations Team

Global

• Global Travel Retail Team
• Global Forecasting Team
• Global Supply Chain Team
• Customer Service Team
• Global Logistics Team

Required Skills:

Experience and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year university.
• Experience in the beauty, fashion, or broader consumer goods industry.
• Practical experience in supply chain functions.
• Age 30 or above (reason for age requirement: organizational transformation focused on developing the next generation of talent).
• A long-term perspective toward work and a strong commitment to personal growth.

Required Skills and Competencies:

• Strong communication skills and the ability to facilitate smooth cross-functional collaboration.
• Broad knowledge and understanding of the retail and distribution industries.
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills; experience with Power Pivot and SQL is preferred.
• Ability to create presentations in PowerPoint.
• Strong logical thinking, analytical skills, and numerical aptitude.
• Highly curious and adaptable to innovation and change.
• Business-level English proficiency, with the ability to communicate effectively with global stakeholders, participate in meetings, and deliver explanations in English.