Seasonal Promotion Planning Checklist

The merchant works the buy plan against forecast units, target weeks-of-supply, and GMROI. Capture the planned sell-through percentage so allocation and the markdown matrix can be built off the same number.

Match each PO's ex-factory and ETA dates against the launch date. Build in a 7–10 day buffer for DC receiving and store allocation. Late vendor ship windows are the most common reason a launch goes live with thin SKU coverage.

Build the first / second / third markdown cadence (e.g., 25% / 40% / 60%). The cost-protection floor is the price below which margin goes negative — flag any planned markdown that breaches the floor for VP of Merchandising approval before the calendar locks.

Route the affected SKU list, projected unit liquidation, and gross-margin impact to the VP of Merchandising. Do not publish the promo calendar until the override is signed.

Lay out launch date, first markdown, second markdown, terminal markdown, and clearance hand-off. Attach as the source of truth that store ops, digital, and CRM all build against.

Each kit ships with window clings, valance headers, shelf talkers, and register danglers labeled by fixture. Include a placement photo card so morning openers can set without a district-manager visit.

The visual director walks one pilot store against the schematic before chain-wide rollout. Catch fixture-fit issues, signage gaps, and product-to-fixture mismatches here — fixing them once at the pilot is cheaper than fixing them across 50 stores.

Build the Klaviyo (or equivalent) flow with a teaser send 7 days out, a launch-day send, and a mid-promo reminder. Segment loyalty tiers so VIPs see early-access pricing before the broader list.

Cover the hero SKUs, top customer questions, return-policy exceptions for promo items, and stacking rules. Post in the store's Slack or Beekeeper channel so part-time staff can reference on shift.

Walk through the POS prompts on Lightspeed / Square / Counterpoint — when the loyalty override fires, when manager approval is required, what to do when a coupon and a BOGO collide. Misrings here drive refund-and-rering volume on launch weekend.

The director of stores and director of e-commerce both sign off after walking the readiness checklist: inventory in stores, signage hung, web banners staged, email scheduled, staff trained. A no-go on either channel pauses launch until remediated.

Walk through the failing readiness items, assign owners and a fix deadline, and re-poll for go/no-go before opening doors. Document what slipped so the next season's calendar can pull the date earlier.

District managers walk their assigned stores Saturday and Sunday. Photograph end-caps, check signage placement against the schematic, and spot-check that the register is firing the right promo prompts. Send corrections to the visual team before Monday.