Associate Merchant

PGA Tour•Roswell, GA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Merchant is responsible for supporting the development and execution of merchandise strategies for a defined category, vendor group, or smaller area of the business. This role helps manage the product lifecycle for assigned assortments, including assortment recommendations, product setup, pricing support, purchase order execution, vendor follow-up, and in-season business analysis. Partnering closely with Merchant leadership, Planning, Marketing, Store Operations, Merch Execution, Supply Chain, and vendor partners, the Associate Merchant supports customer-centric assortments, tracks market and competitive trends, and translates business insights into recommendations that improve sales, margin, inventory productivity, and the customer experience within the assigned business area.

Requirements

2–4+ years of retail merchandising, buying, assistant buying, planning, allocation, or category support experience within a multi-store, specialty retail, or omnichannel environment.
Working knowledge of the retail buying lifecycle, including seasonal strategy, line reviews, assortment planning, product selection, pricing, article creation, purchase order placement, and in-season management.
Assortment analysis and recommendation experience, with the ability to evaluate breadth, depth, pricing architecture, good/better/best positioning, keep/drop decisions, and customer-relevant product offerings within an assigned area.
Solid retail financial acumen, with understanding of sales, margin, turn, sell-through, inventory productivity, markdowns, receipt flow, Open-to-Buy, and category profitability.
Strong analytical and business support skills, with the ability to interpret performance trends, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend actions that improve sales, margin, inventory, and customer outcomes.
Experience partnering with Planning and Allocation/Replenishment on receipt tracking, inventory investments, replenishment needs, markdown cadence, and in-season adjustments.
Ability to prepare business review materials and communicate recommendations to Merchant leadership, cross-functional partners, and vendors with clear storytelling, data support, and business rationale.
Market and competitive awareness, with ability to use store visits, comp shopping, customer insights, product innovation, and trend research to support assortment and pricing decisions.
Effective cross-functional communication and collaboration skills, with ability to partner with Marketing, Store Operations, Visual Merchandising, Planning, Allocation/Replenishment, Supply Chain, and field teams to execute key initiatives.
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, retail reporting, and merchandising systems; experience with product information management, purchase order, planning, or business intelligence tools preferred.
Detail-oriented, accountable, collaborative, and commercially curious, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, follow through on executional details, make timely recommendations, and operate effectively in a fast-paced specialty retail environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting vendor relationships and negotiation preparation, including cost, margin, terms, promotional support, markdown support, exclusives, and business opportunities a plus.

Responsibilities

Support merchandise strategies for a defined category, vendor group, or smaller assigned business area in alignment with company priorities, financial plans, customer needs, and market trends.
Assist in preparing category-level strategies, business recaps, line review materials, and assortment recommendations for Merchant leadership review and approval.
Translate brand, category, and customer insights into recommended assortment, pricing, promotional, and inventory actions for the assigned area.
Support vendor relationships, pre-line product reviews, on-going vendor appointments, and line reviews by preparing materials, capturing decisions, and following up on action items.
Assist with negotiation preparation and vendor communication related to cost, margin, terms, promotional support, markdown support, exclusives, launch timing, and vendor-funded opportunities.
Monitor vendor performance within the assigned area and identify opportunities, risks, and follow-up needs for Merchant leadership.
Support assortment recommendations, including product selection, breadth, depth, pricing architecture, good/better/best balance, exclusivity opportunities, and keep/drop analysis for the assigned area.
Manage article creation, product attribution, sample review, line list accuracy, and purchase order placement in alignment with approved line review decisions.
Partner with Planning and Allocation/Replenishment to track inventory depth, receipt flow, and product availability against sales, margin, turn, and in-stock objectives.
Support Planning and Merchant leadership with annual target and monthly Open-to-Buy inputs, receipt tracking, inventory investments, markdown cadence, and in-season financial adjustments for the assigned area.
Prepare Weekly and Monthly Business Review materials to assess sales, margin, sell-through, inventory, markdowns, and vendor performance.
Analyze business trends, item productivity, customer demand, and inventory risk to recommend reorders, cancellations, pricing actions, markdowns, and future assortment improvements.
Provide timely updates on key programs, new product launches, promotional priorities, vendor initiatives, product flow, and assigned category activity to support cohesive execution.
Partner with Marketing, Store Operations, Merch Execution, Planning, Allocation/Replenishment, and Supply Chain to help execute assortments across stores and digital channels.
Communicate product priorities & key stories, vendor programs, store execution needs, and selling opportunities for the assigned business area.
Stay informed on the competitive landscape, customer preferences, product innovation, pricing movement, and market trends that impact the assigned area of business.
Participate in store visits, comp shopping, market research, and vendor meetings to identify opportunities and changes in customer behavior.
Use store feedback, competitive insights, and business results to recommend assortment, pricing, presentation, promotional, and inventory actions.