Retail Buyer, Flagship Store
About The Position
The Retail Buyer is responsible for the strategic planning, sourcing, pricing, and execution of merchandise assortments for assigned specialty retail product categories. This role owns category level performance, including sales growth, profitability, inventory productivity, and guest relevance. Reporting to the Senior Manager of Buying & Merchandising, this role thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and requires strong analytical skills, creative merchandising instincts, and disciplined execution. Key areas of focus include seasonal assortment planning, vendor management, inventory optimization, and continuous process improvement.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Retail Management, or a related field.
- 3–5 years of experience as a Retail Buyer, preferably within specialty retail.
- Demonstrated success managing assortments, inventory, and financial performance for owned categories.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data and translate insights into actionable strategies.
- Proven negotiation skills and experience building productive, long-term vendor partnerships.
- Excellent cross-functional communication skills with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel; experience with SAP or similar retail ERP systems preferred.
- Deep understanding of retail trends, product development, and the end-to-end buying process.
- Strong organizational, prioritization, and time management skills in a deadline-driven environment.
- Self-motivated, proactive, and decisive with a strong sense of ownership and urgency.
- Ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously and solve problems creatively.
- Commitment to ethical business practices and positive working relationships.
Responsibilities
- Own and manage assigned product categories with full accountability for sales, margin, inventory turns, and profitability.
- Analyze weekly, monthly, and seasonal sales performance; provide hindsight, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend action plans.
- Develop and curate customer-focused assortments that align with guest experience, seasonal trends, and financial targets.
- Place initial buys and reorders to maintain optimal inventory levels and support sales demand while minimizing markdown risk.
- Secure and analyze vendor quotations; negotiate costs, payment terms, delivery schedules, discounts.
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard new vendors and product lines, ensuring alignment with quality, cost, and store standards.
- Maintain strong vendor relationships, including management of deliveries, returns to vendor, chargebacks, and performance reviews.
- Monitor industry trends, competitive assortments, and market dynamics to inform buying decisions and long-term category strategies.
- Partner closely with store merchandising, visual, and marketing teams to execute impactful in-store presentations and promotional initiatives.
- Attend trade shows, vendor appointments, and trend treks to source new products and identify emerging trends.
- Develop and present category strategies, assortment reviews, and new product pitches to key stakeholders and leadership.
- Lead regular buying team meetings to communicate priorities, align on strategies, share insights, and drive execution.
- Identify opportunities to improve buying processes, systems, and workflows to increase efficiency and scalability.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
