David Sanders

I spent 25 years in retail merchandise planning - long enough to know and understand what a good job looks like, how to keep the plates spinning, what can go wrong, why it matters and how to fix it.

Most of that time was at Asda George Clothing, where I built the Central Merchandise Planning function after 10 years as a merchandiser. I designed and created the business reporting, built the tools and solutions, and became a trusted sounding board for the business — helping to solve problems, challenge thinking, and guide decisions with clear, practical insight. I also led the merchandise planning side of two major ERP implementations. It’s a world I know and love.

I went freelance in 2025 and now work with retailers and AI companies, applying that experience in a practical, hands-on way — whether that’s planning and forecasting, analytics and reporting, or supporting a system implementation. I’m currently working as a functional consultant on an MFP & WSSI implementation and separately supporting an AI company with retail analytics and reporting.

If any of that sounds useful, I’d love to hear from you.

Typically I get pulled in to help with:

• Merchandise planning & forecasting

• MFP, WSSI & Assortment Planning implementation

• Analytics, reporting & insight

• Business Analyst - acting as the bridge between business teams and tech delivery

• Buying & Merchandising tools & solutions

• ERP programmes & implementations

• Moving from Excel to scalable planning systems

• Improving & optimising Excel reporting & tools