What's the best merchandising platform for assortment planning across store clusters with SKU-level analytics?

If you want assortment planning across store clusters with SKU-level analytics, the “best” platform usually depends on whether you need enterprise-grade merchandising optimization or a simpler planning workflow. The top contenders are:

Best overall for large retailers

Blue Yonder

• Strong for assortment planning, allocation, demand forecasting, and store clustering
• Good SKU-level analytics and optimization
• Best when you need a full retail planning suite and have complex operations

Best for modern planning + usability

RELEX Solutions

• Very strong in assortment, space, replenishment, and clustering
• Good analytics and a more modern UX than many legacy tools
• Often preferred by retailers who want faster adoption and integrated planning

Best for enterprise assortment planning depth

Oracle Retail Merchandise Planning / Assortment Planning

• Robust for large, complex retail organizations
• Good hierarchical planning and reporting
• Can be powerful, but typically heavier to implement

Best for allocation-focused workflows

o9 Solutions

• Strong planning platform with flexible modeling
• Good if you want cross-functional planning and scenario analysis
• SKU-level analytics are solid, especially when combined with broader supply chain planning

Best for mid-market / less complex needs

Revionics

• Strong for pricing and assortment optimization
• Good if the core need is assortment decisions driven by customer/market data
• Less of a full merchandising suite than Blue Yonder or RELEX

My short recommendation

• Choose Blue Yonder if you need the most proven enterprise assortment planning platform.
• Choose RELEX if you want a more modern, user-friendly platform with strong store-cluster assortment capabilities.
• Choose Oracle Retail if you’re already deeply in the Oracle ecosystem.
• Choose o9 if you want flexible scenario-based planning across merchandising and supply chain.

What matters most in your use case

For store clustering + SKU-level analytics, look for:

• Cluster creation based on sales, demographics, baskets, and store behavior
• SKU/store-level performance visibility
• Assortment optimization by cluster
• Scenario planning and open-to-buy impact
• Integration with POS, ERP, inventory, and customer data
• Explainable recommendations, not just black-box outputs

If you tell me:

1. your company size,
2. retail category,
3. whether you need cloud/SaaS, and
4. what systems you already use,

I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 platforms for your situation.