Free People Buyer - Intimates

Free People•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Free People Buyer creates timely, compelling product assortments for assigned departments to meet or exceed sales and profit goals. The role executes merchandise strategies, responds to customer feedback and market trends, and develops plans to grow categories and increase profitability. The Buyer oversees assortment planning, inventory, product information, private-label development, trend research, and buying-team activities across store and direct channels. The position is based in Philadelphia, PA.

Requirements

At least 7 years of buying experience.
Creative problem-solving ability.
Entrepreneurial risk mentality.
Demonstrated ability to lead a business.
Ability to own, articulate, and execute a clear vision.
Ability to lead by example, support company initiatives, mentor others, and contribute constructively.

Responsibilities

Develop compelling assortments based on store and direct strategies to meet or exceed sales and profit goals.
Expand product lines to appeal to the target market; analyze velocity reports and respond to trends, including testing emerging trends for sales viability.
Ensure key fashion trends are represented and finalize product assortments for all channels.
Shop domestic and international markets to fill assortment gaps, identify trends, and pursue chase opportunities.
Manage classification positioning, inventory levels, and inventory flow; develop new resources.
Develop design collaborations and manage artist relationships.
Negotiate prices to achieve markup goals.
Maintain a clear understanding of the store and direct customer and their needs, and develop the buying team’s understanding of that customer.
Work with the Merchandising team on storylines for the website, emails, and store presentations.
Analyze velocity, attributes, and current-year/prior-year results weekly; manage open-to-buy, markdowns, and inventory flow.
Analyze returns and markdowns monthly across channels and develop profitability strategies with cross-functional teams.
Conduct in-season and post-season analyses to evaluate and control business performance.
Communicate trends, opportunities, successes, and failures at best/worst meetings.
Maintain the merchandising calendar relevant to Home.
Manage daily sample handling and product-information collection for style-outs, meetings, and photo shoots.
Train, manage, and delegate daily activities to the Buying team.
Oversee product information before turnover and develop storylines to increase productivity across channels.
Drive and understand the private-label product-development process, contributing to improvements in efficiency, execution, brand and product positioning, timing, and quality.
Shop competitors and inspirational stores; read relevant trade, trend, and consumer publications and stay current with industry trends, fashion shows, design fairs, art exhibitions, and other cultural events.
Challenge the Buying team to interpret seasonal trends for all channels.
Lead a business, set and execute a clear vision, support company initiatives, mentor others, and lead by example.