Distributing available products among stores, markets or channels according to a plan or demand.
Allocation determines how limited stock is assigned to particular locations, channels or orders. A planner can compare available supply with merchandise plans, sales history or a demand forecast, then decide how much each destination should receive. The resulting quantities must fit the supply available and the routes through which products can reach their destinations. Allocation differs from forecasting because it assigns supply rather than estimating demand. It also differs from replenishment, which concerns restoring stock as it is used or sold.
In job listings
Chanel’s Head of Merchandising role in Toronto involved working with Boutique Directors and local teams to adapt product strategies to market needs. Its explicit responsibility for stock allocation sat alongside the product mix for each boutique, showing how distribution decisions supported a locally appropriate assortment. Search local jobs for “allocation”.
