Inventory Control Specialist

Position Summary

The Inventory Control Specialist is a part-time retail team member with specialized responsibility for inventory accuracy, purchasing, product performance, and product knowledge.

This position combines hands‑on store responsibilities with inventory analysis, cycle counting, ordering, product trend evaluation, new product selection, and team education. The Inventory Control Specialist will also regularly assist customers, operate the register, and perform opening and closing responsibilities.

The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between analytical inventory work and day‑to‑day retail operations.

This position averages 10–15 hours per week and requires a combination of weekday and weekend availability.

Typical scheduling expectations include:

• 2–3 weekdays (opening or closing shift) per week
• 1–2 weekend days per week
• Availability for opening and closing shifts
• Availability during designated ordering, inventory counting, receiving, or training periods as needed

• Monitor inventory levels, sales velocity, reorder points, safety stock, and other inventory metrics.
• Identify overstocked, understocked, slow‑moving, and out‑of‑stock products.
• Perform regular cycle counts and investigate inventory discrepancies.
• Help maintain accurate inventory quantities within Shopify and other inventory management systems.
• Identify inventory trends and recommend adjustments to ordering levels.
• Monitor products approaching expiration and develop plans to sell through inventory before expiration.
• Identify slow‑moving and dead inventory and maintain a consistent markdown and clearance strategy.
• Track inventory shrink, damages, expired products, and other inventory adjustments.
• Recommend changes to shelf capacity, reorder points, case quantities, and stocking levels when appropriate.

• Review inventory needs and create regular vendor orders.
• Consider current inventory, sales trends, seasonality, upcoming promotions, supplier requirements, and case quantities when creating orders.
• Help prevent both unnecessary overstock and avoidable out‑of‑stocks.
• Review vendor minimums, promotions, discontinued products, and product availability when placing orders.
• Communicate ordering concerns, unusual inventory needs, or significant purchasing recommendations to management.

• Monitor sales trends by product, category, brand, and season.
• Identify products or categories that are growing or declining.
• Research emerging products and trends within the pet industry.
• Evaluate potential new products and make recommendations for additions to the store.
• Identify products that may need to be discontinued or replaced.
• Work with management to maintain a balanced and productive product assortment.
• Help evaluate the performance of newly introduced products.

• Develop strong knowledge of the products and brands carried by the store.
• Understand key product features, benefits, ingredients, use cases, and differences between comparable products.
• Serve as a product resource for customers and other team members.
• Assist with product education during new employee onboarding.
• Help provide ongoing product training for existing team members.
• Share information about new products, discontinued products, product changes, and important vendor updates.
• Help create simple product reference materials or training resources when needed.

• Provide friendly, knowledgeable customer service.
• Help customers select appropriate food, treats, supplements, toys, and other products based on their needs.
• Use product knowledge to make thoughtful recommendations and explain differences between products.
• Operate the point‑of‑sale system and…