Merchandising isn’t what it used to be. Today’s merchandising teams are no longer responsible for just hitting SKU counts or building line plans against financial targets. Their role has expanded—dramatically. They are now expected to influence product creation, align cross-functional teams, drive adoption across global markets, and support commercialization from line build to sell-in.
But the tools many merchandising teams rely on haven’t kept pace with this evolution.
In this piece, we explore how the most forward-thinking brands are equipping their merchandising teams with modern platforms that support the full scope of their responsibilities—from early planning through global adoption and sales enablement.
The Modern Merchandising Role Is Bigger Than Ever
Today’s merchandising leaders are not just planners. They are:
- Product influencers shaping line direction early in the process
- Strategic partners to design, planning, and leadership
- Global integrators ensuring alignment across regions and channels
- Storytellers and enablers supporting sell-in and market readiness
They’re responsible for connecting the high-level merchandise plan to the real product decisions that happen day-to-day—and making sure those decisions result in a line that performs commercially across every market.
This expanded role demands more than just planning—it requires the ability to collaborate, visualize, and adjust in real time.
Where Traditional Merchandise Planning Tools Fall Short
While merchandise planning tools help define targets and shape the assortment structure at a high level, they don’t support the dynamic, cross-functional work that happens once the plan is in motion and before products head to development.
Most merchandising teams are still managing critical decisions using:
- Disconnected spreadsheets and PowerPoint decks
- Static visuals without product data
- Email threads or Miro boards for feedback
- Last-minute sales decks manually built from scattered sources
These tools aren’t designed to support the evolving nature of the line—or the increasing pressure on merchandising to drive outcomes across product, adoption, and sales.
How Leading Brands Are Supporting the Merch Function
To close the gap, leading brands are adopting a new type of solution: an Assortment Lifecycle Platform.
This platform doesn’t replace planning tools or PLM systems—it connects them. It provides merchandising teams with a centralized, user-friendly, visual workspace where they can:
- Build and shape the assortment in collaboration with design and planning
- See real-time progress across drops, categories, and regions
- Track how the evolving line aligns with financial and assortment goals
- Share evolving assortments early with regional teams to gather input and boost adoption
- Support sales with accurate, up-to-date product visuals for wholesale and B2B presentations
By bringing this work into a single, purpose-built platform, merchandising teams can spend less time coordinating—and more time leading.
What Happens When Merchandising Is Properly Equipped
Brands that invest in an Assortment Lifecycle Platform aren’t just making collaboration easier—they’re unlocking real business impact:
- Faster alignment across product, regional, and leadership teams
- Higher adoption rates due to earlier access and visibility
- Fewer late-stage changes that drive up costs and delay timelines
- Smarter, faster product decisions with real-time line visibility
- Better sell-in performance through up-to-date assortments and storylines
Merchandising becomes the connector across the GTM process—not just a contributor. They’re able to lead with clarity and confidence, backed by the tools to manage complexity and accelerate execution.
It’s Time to Support Merchandising for the Role They Already Play
The merchandising function has evolved—and the most successful brands are recognizing it. These teams aren’t just planning—they’re shaping, aligning, influencing, and enabling across the go-to-market calendar.
But without the right tools, even the most capable teams are stuck managing the work in tools that weren’t built for it.
It’s time to support merchandising with platforms that reflect the full scope of their responsibility—from early line planning to global adoption and sell-in.
Looking to empower your merchandising team at every stage of the go-to-market process? Discover how an Assortment Lifecycle Platform like VibeIQ supports teams from early planning through global adoption and sell-in.
