Associate Buyer

The Paper Store•Acton, MA

4d•$75,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Buyer, Fashion & Accessories, manages an assigned portion of the business and helps develop and execute category strategies to drive sales, margin, and profitability. The role partners with the Buyer and cross-functional teams to build assortments, assess performance, identify trends and opportunities, negotiate with vendors, and recommend actions to advance the business. The position is based at the corporate office in Acton, Massachusetts, with onsite work required at least four days per week. The Associate Buyer supports assortment and category strategy, analyzes sales and inventory performance, manages vendor relationships and buying operations, and works with teams across Planning, Allocation, Design, Marketing, E-Commerce, Distribution Center, and stores. The role also supports product development, product flow, seasonal launches, promotional events, and accurate online product representation.

Requirements

Strong retail buying experience in Fashion, Accessories, Apparel, Handbags, or related categories is sought; the posting states 3–5 years of progressive buying experience is strongly preferred and separately lists 2–5 years of experience as an assistant buyer in a retail organization as a job requirement.
Experience working in a fast-paced, high-SKU retail environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage an assigned portion of a category or product assortment.
Strong understanding of retail math, including sales, margin, inventory, sell-through, turn, markdowns, and profitability.
Experience working directly with vendors and participating in negotiations; communication and negotiation skills or experience are required.
Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into business recommendations; strong numerical and analytical aptitude.
Strong product sense and understanding of fashion trends, customers, and competitive positioning.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook.
Good organizational skills, including prioritizing, time management, and meeting deadlines; strong attention to detail and follow-through.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Collaborative approach and ability to build relationships across functions.
Ability to work onsite at least four days per week at the corporate office in Acton, Massachusetts.
Professional presentation in attire, demeanor, and appearance.

Responsibilities

Manage an assigned subset of the Fashion & Accessories business and support overall category strategy.
Participate in assortment planning, pricing, promotional strategies, and product selection.
Identify opportunities to improve sales, margin, and category performance.
Conduct competitive shopping to assess trends, pricing, promotions, brands, and assortment whitespace.
Partner with the Buyer to evaluate performance and influence future assortments.
Analyze sales, sell-through, turn, gross margin, markdowns, and inventory on weekly, monthly, quarterly, and seasonal schedules.
Use performance data to identify opportunities, risks, and recommended actions; recommend inventory, pricing, promotional, and future product actions.
Apply retail math and financial analysis to support category decisions and provide reporting and insights.
Build and maintain vendor relationships; negotiate pricing, terms, and agreements.
Partner with vendors to identify new products and develop assortment opportunities.
Attend trade shows, market appointments, and vendor meetings to identify trends and new products.
Partner with Design and cross-functional teams on product development, patterns, samples, and product execution.
Manage purchase orders, SKU setup, pricing, vendor changes, cancellations, and open-order maintenance.
Monitor product availability, shipping, backorders, and delivery status.
Execute allocations and replenishment and support inventory flow to stores.
Manage transfers, consolidations, recalls, and inventory-related issues.
Maintain accurate product, vendor, and purchase-order information in internal systems; keep samples, product information, and seasonal materials accurate and organized.
Work with Planning, Allocation, Design, Marketing, E-Commerce, Distribution Center, and store teams.
Partner with E-Commerce and Marketing to ensure products are accurately represented online.
Support merchandise directives, seasonal launches, promotional events, and key initiatives.
Communicate product changes, inventory issues, and business opportunities to relevant partners.
Build customer understanding through store visits, competitive research, and business analysis.