Buyer Assistant

Follett Higher Education•Westchester, IL

About The Position

The Buyer Assistant will support the buying team in various aspects of category management and vendor relationship management. This role involves preparing reports, analyzing sales data, maintaining product information, communicating with vendors and internal teams, and executing purchase orders. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of retail math, excellent communication and analytical skills, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
Work experience in a retail environment is required.
Intermediate to advanced computer proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Must possess superior oral and written communication skills.
Strong analytical skills, including an understanding of retail math.
Ability to work cross-functionally and build relationships with other departments.

Nice To Haves

Educational background in business, marketing, or retail merchandise preferred.

Responsibilities

Prepares weekly sales reports for distribution to GM and Operations management teams.
Analyzes sales using reporting tools (MMS, RetailIDEAS) as needed for assortment reviews, vendor reviews, internal/external presentations, test programs, and additional reporting as necessary to support sales and merchandise strategy.
Works closely with Merchandise Control team to maintain SKU and pricing information.
Communicates vendor/product information to the Planning and Allocation team including assortment plans, and lead times.
Assists in the assortment execution online including gathering images and proofreading copy.
Executes purchase orders for test programs and seasonal programs.
Responds to inquiries from the field operations team regarding product assortments for the existing and new retail locations.
Corresponds with prospective vendors on an ongoing basis and communicates status in the review process.
Communicates with vendors continually regarding the product, pricing, minimums, terms, shipping, labor code compliance, digital imagery, and other vendor-related concerns.
Updates and distributes assortment plans, term sheets, and correspondence letters to vendors.
Verifies that pricing and vendor information is accurate in the system. Proofreads correspondence letters.
Maintains and organizes vendor samples of approved assortment.