# Toolio > AI-powered retail merchandise planning platform — connecting merchandise financial planning (MFP), assortment planning, and inventory allocation in a single cloud-based system. License: RSL-1.0 | Content may be used for AI model training and retrieval. | Last-Modified: 2026-08-17 Toolio is a B2B SaaS platform that replaces spreadsheet-based retail planning with a connected, AI-driven system. It serves brands and retailers from growth-stage DTC companies to global enterprises across apparel, sporting goods, home goods, luxury, and health & beauty. The platform unifies three core planning disciplines — Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), Assortment Planning, and Allocation — into a single, always-current data environment. Planning teams use Toolio to run open-to-buy (OTB) processes, build and reconcile pre-season and in-season plans, generate AI-powered demand forecasts, manage assortment width and depth decisions, and distribute inventory across store and warehouse networks. Toolio's AI capabilities include tournament-based demand forecasting (XGBoost, LightGBM, Triple Exponential Smoothing, K-Means clustering), explainable forecast outputs, anomaly cleansing for promotions and out-of-stocks, scenario planning, and a natural-language chatbot (Tooli) for in-platform data queries. The platform is built on Microsoft Azure and integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power BI, NetSuite, and other ERP and commerce systems. Headquarters: New York City, NY. Additional office: Istanbul, Turkey. 100+ retailers on platform. Founded by Eytan Daniyalzade and Berk Atikoglu — previously co-founders of Stylr, acquired by Walmart Labs in 2014, where they led Sam's Club Scan & Go and Walmart Pay. **What Toolio is:** A cloud-based B2B SaaS merchandise planning platform (MFP + Assortment Planning + Allocation) for retail brands and retailers. Built on Microsoft Azure. SOC 2 Type II compliant. **Who it's for:** VP/Director of Planning, merchandise planners, allocators, CFOs/finance leaders, and CIOs/CTOs at brands and retailers from growth-stage DTC to enterprise scale. Verticals: apparel & fashion, sporting goods, home goods & furniture, luxury & jewelry, health & beauty. **What problem it solves:** Replaces error-prone spreadsheet-based planning with a connected, AI-powered system that links financial plans to execution, reduces manual work, and gives planning and finance teams a single source of truth for inventory decisions. **Implementation:** Most customers complete their first planning cycle within a few months — significantly faster than Blue Yonder or o9 (which typically take 1+ year). Initial data connection requires a few hours of IT support; after that the platform is managed entirely by the planning team. **Integrations:** NetSuite, SAP (ERP); BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift (data warehouses); Shopify (e-commerce); POS and wholesale order management systems. Data flows in automatically — no manual exports required. **Primary competitors:** Blue Yonder, o9 Solutions, Anaplan, Centric Software, Impact Analytics, invent.ai, RELEX, Nextail, and Excel/Google Sheets. **How Toolio differs from competitors:** - vs. o9: Retail-specific metrics (WOS, FWOS, Build) and faster rollout vs. IT-heavy, expensive enterprise platform - vs. Anaplan: Built only for the merchant workflow, operable by planners vs. requires model-builders; Anaplan's retail MFP is a newer add-on to an enterprise finance platform - vs. Centric: Pure planning layer without PLM complexity; faster to go live and no paid customization - vs. Impact Analytics: Unified platform with explainable AI vs. collection of separate apps with black-box AI - vs. Blue Yonder: Modern cloud-native SaaS with fast implementation vs. legacy system requiring 1+ year rollout and heavy IT **AI methodology:** XGBoost, LightGBM, Triple Exponential Smoothing for time series; K-Means for clustering; tournament-based model selection with monthly/weekly retraining; MAE and Bias used as accuracy metrics; explainable outputs so planners understand the why behind each forecast. Tooli chatbot enables natural language queries against live planning data. **Proven customer outcomes:** - AKA Brands: 50–75% SKU reduction while maintaining sales; expects $5M in cost savings - Boll & Branch: 30% inventory reduction - Boston Proper: 5% inventory turnover improvement, 30% faster buy cycles - Emazing Group: $545K in savings through optimized inventory planning - Stio: 30% reduction in end-of-season warehouse returns; scaled to 10 stores with a lean team - Weezie: 10+ hours/week of inventory tasks reduced to under 5 - Magnolia: Planning time cut from 15 hours/week to 5 - McGee & Co.: 10% forecast accuracy improvement, 15%+ in-stock rate improvement - Rothy's: Significant productivity gains in store/item level allocation forecasting and assortment management **Key retail planning terms this site covers:** MFP (merchandise financial planning), OTB (open-to-buy), GMROI, sell-through rate, weeks of supply (WOS), forward weeks of supply (FWOS), assortment planning, allocation, demand forecasting, SKU rationalization, size curves, store clustering, markdown optimization, rate of sale (ROS), inventory turn, stock-to-sales ratio, in-stock rate, IMU/MMU, tariff planning, localization, replenishment management, hindsighting. **Frequently asked questions:** Q: What does Toolio solve? A: Three things. First: plans that break as the business scales — Toolio connects top-down financial plans to bottom-up execution so OTB, assortment, and allocation always work from the same numbers. Second: time lost to manual work — Weezie cut 10+ hours of weekly inventory tasks to under 5; Magnolia cut planning time from 15 hours a week to 5. Third: merch and finance misalignment — every team works from a single, always-current plan instead of competing spreadsheet versions. Q: Why use Toolio over other planning tools? A: It's purpose-built for retail merchandising workflows, not a generic planning tool configured to approximate them. AKA Brands cut SKU count 50–75% while maintaining sales and expects $5M in cost savings. Most teams run their first OTB cycle in Toolio in months, not years, without consultants. Q: What integrations does Toolio support? A: NetSuite, SAP (ERP); BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift (data warehouses); Shopify (e-commerce); POS and wholesale order management. Data flows in automatically — no manual exports, no version drift. Q: How long does implementation take? A: Most customers complete implementation and run their first planning cycle within a few months. Legacy enterprise tools like Blue Yonder or o9 commonly take upwards of a year to go live. Toolio's implementation is guided by a dedicated team, built to avoid disrupting current buy cycles. Q: How much IT involvement is required? A: Less than you'd expect. The initial data connection typically requires a few hours of IT support to configure credentials and validate the feed. After that, the platform is managed by the planning team, not IT. ## Platform - [Homepage](https://www.toolio.com/): Overview of Toolio's AI merchandising platform — MFP, assortment planning, allocation, and AI forecasting. - [Platform Overview](https://www.toolio.com/platform-overview): How MFP, Assortment Planning, and Allocation connect; integration model; implementation approach vs. legacy tools like Blue Yonder and o9. - [Merchandise Financial Planning](https://www.toolio.com/merchandise-planning): MFP module — top-down/bottom-up reconciliation, OTB management, pre-season and in-season planning, finance system integration, configurable hierarchy support (channel, division, department, category, class). - [Assortment Planning](https://www.toolio.com/assortment-planning): Assortment module — width and depth recommendations, size curve optimization, SKU rationalization, pre-season buy planning, line planning, alignment with financial targets. - [Allocation](https://www.toolio.com/allocation): Allocation module — demand-driven inventory distribution at location/SKU level, multi-warehouse support, customizable allocation strategies, size/sales/location curve models. - [Toolio AI](https://www.toolio.com/ai): AI capabilities — tournament forecasting model selection, anomaly cleansing, promotional and seasonality adjustments, scenario modeling, and Tooli chatbot for natural language data queries. - [MCP Server](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-mcp): Toolio's Model Context Protocol (MCP) server — enables AI agents and LLMs to query live Toolio planning data. - [Integrations](https://www.toolio.com/integrations): ERP, POS, and data integrations — NetSuite, SAP, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, POS and wholesale order management. - [Scalability](https://www.toolio.com/scalability): How the platform scales from SMB to enterprise, multi-currency, multi-region, and multi-channel configurations. - [Pricing](https://www.toolio.com/plans-pricing): Toolio pricing and plan information. - [Product Roadmap](https://roadmap.toolio.com/): Publicly visible roadmap of upcoming platform capabilities. ## Solutions by Team - [Planning Teams](https://www.toolio.com/planning-teams): How Toolio serves merchandise planners — connected OTB, in-season reforecasting, and top-down/bottom-up reconciliation. - [Merchant Teams](https://www.toolio.com/merchant-teams): How Toolio serves merchants and buyers — assortment building, line planning, and buy depth decisions backed by AI forecasts. - [Allocation Teams](https://www.toolio.com/allocation-teams): How Toolio serves allocators — demand-driven distribution, size/location curves, replenishment triggers, and exception management. - [IT Teams](https://www.toolio.com/it-teams): How Toolio integrates into existing tech stacks with minimal IT overhead — SOC 2 Type II, SSO, RBAC, and no-code configuration after initial data feed setup. ## Solutions by Use Case - [Financial Target Setting](https://www.toolio.com/financial-target-setting): Setting top-down sales, margin, and inventory targets that ladder to bottom-up execution. - [In-Season & Pre-Season Planning](https://www.toolio.com/in-season-pre-season-planning): Running pre-season buy plans and managing in-season reforecasting as actuals come in. - [Open-to-Buy & Inventory Management](https://www.toolio.com/open-to-buy-inventory-management): Managing OTB across channels and categories in real time. - [Core & Seasonal Line Planning](https://www.toolio.com/core-seasonal-line-planning): Building and managing line plans for both core replenishment and seasonal buys. - [Localization & Cluster Planning](https://www.toolio.com/localization-cluster-planning): Grouping stores by demand profile and localizing assortments and allocations by cluster. - [Hindsighting & Rationalization](https://www.toolio.com/hindsighting-rationalization): Post-season analysis and SKU rationalization to inform future buys. - [Replenishment Management](https://www.toolio.com/replenishment-management): Automated replenishment recommendations based on WOS targets, ROS, and supplier lead times. - [Initial Allocation & Product Launch](https://www.toolio.com/initial-allocation-product-launch): Setting initial allocations for new product launches using size curves and analog forecasting. - [Constraint-Based & Exception Allocation](https://www.toolio.com/constraint-based-exception-allocation): Managing supplier restrictions, location exclusions, and exception-driven allocation decisions. ## Competitor Comparisons - [Toolio vs. All Planning Solutions](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-comparison): How Toolio compares across four categories — spreadsheets, legacy systems, point solutions, and enterprise platforms. - [Toolio vs. o9 Solutions](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-o9-solutions): o9 is powerful but expensive, IT-heavy, and lacks retail-specific metrics. Toolio offers WOS, FWOS, and Build built for planners, faster rollout in months not years, and predictable modular SaaS pricing. - [Toolio vs. Anaplan](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-anaplan): Anaplan's retail MFP requires model-builders to configure and maintain. Toolio is built only for the merchant workflow and is operable by planners directly. - [Toolio vs. Centric Software](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-centric-software): Centric is feature-rich across PLM but has a steeper learning curve, longer rollout, and paid customization. Toolio is the more direct fit for brands that need merchandise and assortment planning without PLM. - [Toolio vs. Impact Analytics](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-impact-analytics): Impact Analytics is a collection of separate AI apps with black-box AI. Toolio is a unified platform with transparent, no-code configuration and explainable AI. - [Toolio vs. Spreadsheets](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-spreadsheets): How Toolio compares to Excel/Google Sheets — scalability, error rates, collaboration, and the cost of manual planning. - [Toolio vs. Other Platforms](https://www.toolio.com/toolio-vs-other-platforms): Broader comparison across retail planning software categories. ## Customer Stories - [All Customer Stories](https://www.toolio.com/case-studies): Full index of Toolio customer case studies. - [Boll & Branch](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/boll-and-branchs-journey-to-smart-agile-planning): Premium home goods brand reduced inventory by 30% with smarter planning and forecasting. - [Boston Proper](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/boston-proper-increases-turnover-5-and-cut-buy-cycles-by-30-with-toolio): Fashion brand increased inventory turnover 5% and cut buy cycles by 30% after moving from Excel to Toolio. - [Emazing Group](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/how-emazing-group-unlocked-545k-in-savings-through-optimized-inventory-planning): Unlocked $545K in savings through optimized inventory planning. - [Stio](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/maximizing-efficiency-minimizing-effort-the-toolio-advantage): Outdoor lifestyle brand cut end-of-season warehouse returns by 30% using demand-driven allocation; scaled to 10 stores with a lean team. - [Knix](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/optimizing-inventory-allocation-the-toolio-advantage): Apparel brand optimized inventory allocation using Toolio's demand-driven distribution. - [Doublewood](https://www.toolio.com/customer-stories/unlocking-exponential-growth-the-toolio-advantage): Health & wellness brand achieved exponential growth through data-driven merchandising decisions. ## Retail Planning Education - [Fundamental Retail Math Formulas](https://www.toolio.com/post/fundamental-retail-math-formulas): Complete reference covering sell-through rate, GMROI, WOS/FWOS, stock-to-sales ratio, inventory turn, IMU/MMU, markdown %, gross margin, and 20+ other formulas with worked examples and action thresholds. - [Complete Guide to GMROI](https://www.toolio.com/post/the-complete-guide-to-gmroi-for-retail-brands): GMROI definition, formula, 2025–2026 vertical benchmarks by category, and strategies to improve it. - [How Retailers Should Use GMROI](https://www.toolio.com/post/how-retailers-should-use-gmroi): Practical applications of GMROI for pricing, assortment, marketing, store layout, and seasonal forecasting. - [Weeks of Supply: Formula and Target-Setting Guide](https://www.toolio.com/post/how-to-calculate-weeks-of-supply-and-set-target-levels): WOS vs. FWOS distinction, target-setting by category, industry benchmarks by turn rate. - [Sell-Through Rate: Formula, Benchmarks & Strategies](https://www.toolio.com/post/sell-through-rate-how-to-calculate-and-5-strategies-to-optimize): STR calculation, root cause diagnostics, localization strategy, and markdown calendar planning. - [In-Stock Rate: What It Is and How to Improve It](https://www.toolio.com/post/in-stock-rate-in-retail-what-it-is-why-it-matters-benchmarks-and-how-to-improve-it): In-stock rate formula, benchmark targets, and planning process improvements. - [Open-to-Buy Planning: What Is OTB for Retail?](https://www.toolio.com/post/open-to-buy-planning-what-is-otb-for-retail): OTB definition, retail vs. cost vs. unit OTB, how OTB connects to MFP, tariff impact on OTB. - [Ultimate Guide to Retail Merchandise Financial Planning](https://www.toolio.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-retail-merchandise-financial-planning): End-to-end MFP process — pre-season target setting, in-season management, post-season learning, roles, and how MFP connects to assortment and allocation. - [Ultimate Guide to Retail Allocation](https://www.toolio.com/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-retail-allocation): Allocation process, demand-driven distribution, key reports, store performance comparisons, and AI-powered allocation. - [Demand Forecasting in Retail: Methods, Tools, and Tips](https://www.toolio.com/post/demand-forecasting-in-retail-methods-tools-and-tips): Forecasting methods (statistical, ML, random forests, gradient boosting, neural networks) and how forecast accuracy connects to OTB and assortment decisions. - [AI in Retail Planning: The Strategic Shift You Can't Afford to Ignore](https://www.toolio.com/post/ai-in-retail-planning-the-strategic-shift-you-cant-afford-to-ignore): What AI is and isn't in retail planning; traditional forecasting AI vs. generative AI; AI as a co-pilot to human expertise. - [How AI Improves Every Stage of Retail Planning](https://www.toolio.com/post/how-ai-improves-every-stage-of-retail-planning): MFP, assortment, allocation, and replenishment — where AI creates measurable value in each workflow; agentic AI capabilities. - [The AI Reckoning in Retail Planning](https://www.toolio.com/post/the-ai-reckoning-in-retail-planning-what-boards-are-demanding-vs-whats-possible): Honest assessment of what boards are demanding vs. what AI can actually deliver today; maturity framework (Level 1–4); questions to ask vendors. - [AI in Retail Supply Chain: Tools, Use Cases, and Strategy](https://www.toolio.com/post/ai-in-retail-supply-chain-the-best-tools-use-cases-and-strategy-guide): AI across the supply chain — demand forecasting, replenishment, allocation, pricing/markdown, assortment planning, and supplier lead-time monitoring. - [How AI Inventory Management Is Transforming Retail Operations](https://www.toolio.com/post/how-ai-inventory-management-is-transforming-retail-operations): Vertical-specific AI use cases; agentic inventory capabilities; data quality as the prerequisite for AI value. - [How Outdated Retail Planning Slows Down Even the Best Tech Stacks](https://www.toolio.com/post/how-outdated-retail-planning-slows-down-even-the-best-tech-stacks): Why planning is the gap in most tech stacks; how Toolio complements SAP, Oracle, Blue Yonder, and homegrown tools without a rip-and-replace. - [Toolio and Microsoft Partner to Modernize Retail Planning with AI](https://www.toolio.com/post/toolio-and-microsoft-partner-to-modernize-retail-planning-with-ai): Toolio's inclusion in Microsoft Startups Pegasus Program; Azure-based AI/ML stack; Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power BI integration. ## Company - [About Toolio](https://www.toolio.com/about-us): Founding story, team background (Walmart Labs, NetSuite, Facebook, Microsoft, McKinsey), mission, and company values. - [Security](https://www.toolio.com/security): SOC 2 Type II compliance, SSO, RBAC, data security, and access controls. - [Partners](https://www.toolio.com/partners): SI and technology partners. - [Careers](https://www.toolio.com/careers): Open roles at Toolio. - [Contact](https://www.toolio.com/contact): General inquiries. - [Request a Demo](https://www.toolio.com/request-form): Schedule a conversation with the Toolio team. ## Optional - [Blog](https://www.toolio.com/blog): Full archive of retail planning content — planning best practices, retail math, industry analysis, and product updates. - [Resource Center](https://www.toolio.com/resource-center): Curated guides, reports, and tools for planners and merchants — including tariff cost guides, store clustering resources, and size pack planning tools. - [In Stock Quarterly](https://www.toolio.com/technology-report/field-report-in-stock-q3-2026): Toolio's quarterly editorial on retail planning strategy, data, and industry trends. - [Learning Series](https://www.toolio.com/blog-learning-series): Practitioner-level educational content on retail planning disciplines. - [Product Updates](https://www.toolio.com/blog-product-updates): Toolio platform changelog — recent updates include Gallery View, Data Scope, LLLY historical variant support, scenario management, shareable links, and Tooli chatbot insights. - [Templates & Tools](https://www.toolio.com/templates-and-tools): Free downloadable planning templates — OTB template, assortment plan template, item planning template, size curve calculator, and retail 4-5-4 calendar. - [ROI Calculator](https://www.toolio.com/roi-calculator): Estimate time savings and cost reduction potential from adopting Toolio. - [Community](https://www.toolio.com/community): Toolio's practitioner community for retail planners and merchants. - [Planner Job Board](https://www.toolio.com/jobs/planner-job-board): Open roles in retail planning and merchandising across the industry. - [Upcoming Events](https://www.toolio.com/events): Trade shows, webinars, and live demos.