How Do Retailers Integrate MOPS With Merchandising Teams?
Retailers integrate marketing operations (MOPS) with merchandising by using a shared revenue plan, common data, and coordinated calendars so offers, content, inventory, and campaigns move together across store, e-commerce, and media channels.
Merchandising owns what the retailer sells and when; MOPS owns how those decisions show up as journeys, offers, and campaigns. When these teams work in silos, shoppers see disconnected promotions, out-of-stock hero items, and mixed messages across channels. Integrated leaders treat MOPS and merchandising as one revenue system—aligning assortment, pricing, and inventory signals with audiences, cadences, and creative so every play is both compelling and executable.
What It Really Means to Integrate MOPS and Merchandising
A Joint Operating Model for MOPS + Merchandising
Integration starts with an operating rhythm that connects assortment decisions, pricing, and inventory to customer journeys, segments, and campaigns.
Plan → Translate → Orchestrate → Execute → Learn
- Plan: Build a shared revenue calendar. Merchandising defines key seasons, category bets, and space priorities. MOPS maps these to journeys, offers, and high-level campaigns across store, e-commerce, and media.
- Translate: Turn category strategies into customer plays. Together they identify who to target for each category (personas, value tiers, loyalty segments) and translate merchandising goals into offers, content, and channel strategies.
- Orchestrate: Wire campaigns into systems and workflows. MOPS configures audiences, triggers, and promo IDs; merchandising ensures assortment, pricing, and inventory are ready across banners, channels, and stores.
- Execute: Launch omnichannel plays. Store, e-commerce, and media teams launch coordinated campaigns using shared assets, offer rules, and measurement plans driven by MOPS and merchandising together.
- Learn: Feed results back into buying and planning. Post-campaign reviews combine sales, margin, inventory, and engagement data so next season’s buy and next quarter’s playbooks improve together.
MOPS + Merchandising Responsibility Matrix
| Dimension | Marketing Operations (MOPS) | Merchandising | Joint Accountability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategy & Planning | Define customer journeys, segmentation, offer frameworks, and omnichannel campaign models. | Set category strategies, buys, markdown plans, and vendor-funded initiatives. | Build a unified revenue calendar tying category priorities to customer-facing journeys. |
| Data & Signals | Maintain unified customer and campaign data; integrate POS, e-com, and media signals. | Provide inventory, pricing, margin, and sell-through data at category and SKU levels. | Use shared dashboards that connect campaign performance to category and inventory outcomes. |
| Offers & Promotions | Govern promo setup, eligibility, and channel activation; ensure consistent execution. | Define allowable discount depth, funding, and excluded products for each offer. | Approve offers that hit both traffic and margin targets while protecting brand equity. |
| Content & Presentation | Build templates, creative briefs, and content sequences that align to journeys and personas. | Select hero products, collections, and stories that reinforce category strategies. | Ensure digital experiences and in-store presentation tell the same merchandising story. |
| Measurement & Optimization | Analyze campaign lift, engagement, and revenue performance across channels. | Assess category lift, sell-through velocity, markdown reliance, and GMROI. | Make joint decisions on what to scale, stop, or re-buy based on connected insights. |
Example: Connecting Category Bets to Customer Journeys
A multi-banner retailer struggled with campaigns that drove traffic but not profitable sell-through. By forming a MOPS + Merchandising “growth pod”, they rebuilt seasonal plans around a unified calendar and shared dashboards. Merchants defined priority categories and inventory constraints; MOPS restructured journeys and offers by persona and value tier. Within two seasons, the retailer saw higher margin on promoted categories, reduced excess inventory, and clearer test-and-learn loops between campaigns and buying decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should own the integration between MOPS and merchandising?
Typically, a revenue leader or CMO sponsors the partnership, while MOPS leads the operating model and merchandising co-owns planning, offers, and measurement. Both teams share revenue and margin goals.
How often should MOPS and merchandising meet?
Most retailers benefit from a monthly planning and performance cadence—with deeper seasonal planning sessions and weekly standups during peak periods to respond to sell-through and demand shifts.
What data is essential to connect between the teams?
At minimum: POS and e-commerce sales, inventory levels, margin and funding, campaign performance, and customer segments. The goal is a single view that shows how campaigns affect category and SKU-level results.
How does this change vendor and co-op programs?
Integrated teams move vendor programs from “impressions and slots” to measurable revenue plays, with clear audiences, test plans, and performance reporting that benefit both the retailer and brand partners.
Turn MOPS and Merchandising Into One Revenue Engine
Build a connected operating model where category strategies, offers, and campaigns work together to grow profitable revenue across every retail channel.
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