Assistant Merchant, Footwear

Fleet Feet • Carrboro, NC

12h • Hybrid

About The Position

We believe Running Changes Everything. If you believe that, too, we want to talk. With more than 280 stores and a robust e-commerce site, Fleet Feet is the largest running retailer in the country. Catering to more than runners, we pride ourselves on having an inclusive environment! We believe it’s a privilege to serve and to deliver unmatched service and support when outfitting every customer. We run together to solve problems, reach goals, encourage others and champion our brand.

Overview:

The Assistant Merchant, Footwear supports the execution of Fleet Feet’s footwear merchandising strategy across all channels. This role assists in building seasonal assortments, preparing reporting and analysis, and coordinating with cross-functional partners to ensure product is set up, ordered, and positioned to meet sales, margin, and inventory goals.
This position is hybrid, with the expectation of being in the office 2-3 days per week.
Apply now and help us inspire the runner in everyone.

Requirements

• 1–3 years of merchandising, buying, planning, or retail experience preferred; internship or store experience in footwear or sporting goods a plus.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets and comfort working with reports and large data sets.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills; able to manage multiple tasks and seasonal calendars.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; comfortable collaborating with cross-functional partners and vendors.

Nice To Haves

• Passion for the Fleet Feet brand, running, fitness, and/or active lifestyles is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist in building seasonal footwear assortment plans by vendor, sub-category, and channel in alignment with the department’s financial targets and strategic direction.
• Support the Senior Manager and Director in preparing materials for Open-to-Buy (OTB) and budget reviews, including vendor market share recaps and opportunities.
• Help compile and maintain seasonal assortment packets, including visual line plans, planograms, trend recaps, and seasonal buy summaries.
• Manage seasonal attributing within system each buy cycle.
• Partner with ecommerce partners to ensure assortments, product attributes, and launches align with in-store strategies and timelines.
• Assist in merchandising setup for digital platforms, ensuring products are correctly represented and ready for launch.
• Pull and organize seasonal category reporting, including:
• Historical retail and ecommerce sales trends
• Digital platform performance (dropship and in-store app)
• Competitor and market research
• Operator feedback (seasonal survey)
• Price and gross profit recaps
• Support the preparation of vendor pre-line, preseason sell-in, and buy review analysis decks for internal and external meetings.
• Assist Senior Manager with preseason buy entry by SKU, ensuring orders align with assortment strategy and vendor deadlines.
• Help validate data accuracy for order book uploads into Fleet Feet systems and flag discrepancies or gaps.
• Support the build-out and maintenance of the product lifecycle calendar (intro dates, MAP calendar, promotional timing).
• Assist in providing assortment direction and allocation notes to the Retail Inventory team, supporting door-level decisions and seasonal order book creation.
• Help develop preseason support tools and resources for Franchise doors to align local assortments with Corporate strategies.
• Support enhancements to merchandising and planning tools by testing new features, providing feedback, and helping with simple documentation and training resources.
• Maintain organized records of seasonal assortments, recaps, and reports for easy access and future reference.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings with Buying, Inventory, Digital, Marketing, and Stores to stay aligned on priorities and timelines.
• Provide day-to-day support to the Senior Manager, including meeting prep, recap notes, and follow-up actions with internal and external partners.
• The Assistant Merchant contributes to team performance in the following areas (at the category/channel level):
• Sales vs. Plan
• Style productivity
• Color productivity
• Gross margin performance

Benefits

• 401(k) with 4% Company Match: Available to employees aged 21+ at company-owned stores.
• Exclusive Discounts: Enjoy savings on industry-leading products and specialized training programs.
• Professional Development: Grow your career through mentorship opportunities, employee resource groups, and ongoing learning sessions designed to help you reach your full potential.
• Community Engagement: Get involved in local outreach and service initiatives that align with our purpose-driven mission.
• Inspiring Team Culture: Join supportive, passionate teammates who live the mission every day.
• Benefits Summary: For full-time employees (30+ hours/week), check out our Fleet Feet benefits summary for details on healthcare, wellness, and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed