Buyer Assistant

At Second Shop, we’re a team of Canadians who believe in doing better—for our country, your wallets, and our planet.

We started with a simple idea: why should perfectly good products go to waste or sit unsold when people like you are out there looking for smart ways to save? We have made it our mission to source the highest quality open-box, overstocked, and scratch-and-dent products from the top brands—offering them to Canadians at up to 50% off. But we are not just about savings—we’re about changing how people shop.

Say goodbye to paying full price and hello to smarter spending.

The Buyer Assistant role sits at the heart of Second Shop’s buying and merchandising engine. This is a hands‑on, execution‑heavy role designed for someone who is nearly ready to step into a full Buyer position and wants deeper exposure to vendor management, category performance, and commercial decision‑making.

You will support day‑to‑day purchasing activity, manage supplier interactions, build and maintain purchase orders, and act as a key connector between Sales Operations, B2B, Supply Chain, and the Buying team. This is not a traditional retail buying office role—it’s fast‑paced, operational, and highly cross‑functional.

• Manage day‑to‑day supplier purchasing activity and support purchase agreements
• Build and maintain accurate purchase orders (POs) across active suppliers
• Actively manage opportunity buys for the B2B team through automated tools and dashboards
• Maintain clean, accurate vendor files, confirmations, and pricing documentation
• Track supplier calendars, MOQs, lead times, and constraints
• Follow up consistently with suppliers to close loops and resolve open items
• Build strong working relationships with suppliers already in play
• Act as a primary point of contact for day‑to‑day supplier communication
• Identify and pursue incremental opportunities with existing suppliers
• Sanity‑check vendor quotes and flag discrepancies, cost changes, or risks early

• Build and maintain SKU matrices, line reviews, and assortment grids
• Analyse category performance including:
• Sell‑through
• Gross margin % and margin dollars
• Turn rates
• Markdown impact
• Proactively flag dead SKUs, margin leaks, overstocks, and gaps before issues escalated
• Partner with Buyers to identify item needs and outreach strategies to suppliers

• Act as the daily go‑between for Sales Operations and the Buying team
• Work closely with:
• Supply Chain & Logistics
• Inventory Planning
• Pricing & Promotions
• Marketing / E‑commerce
• Warehouse & DC Operations
• Help resolve execution issues quickly by understanding ownership, impact, and next steps

• Own SKU‑level accuracy across:
• Dimensions and weights
• Case packs and pallet quantities
• Compliance attributes (energy ratings, safety certifications, etc.)
• Ensure item master data is accurate to prevent freight errors, listing issues, and operational failures

• Support promotional deal setup and submissions
• Provide inputs for flyers and digital content
• Assist with line extensions, deletions, and end‑of‑life (EOL) planning
• Help manage exit strategies for underperforming or obsolete inventory

• 3–5 years of experience working with vendors or suppliers
• Industry background flexible
• Analyst → Merchandising / Buying Assistant progression strongly preferred
• Almost ready to step into a Buyer role and eager to think like a merchant
• Experience with big and bulky products is a strong asset
• Highly organised, detail‑oriented, and comfortable managing many moving parts simultaneously
• Strong problem‑solver who thrives in large, cross‑functional team environments
• Flexible and adaptable—comfortable outside a traditional retail buying structure

• Comfortable analysing sell‑through, margin, turn, markdowns, and OTB
• Able to interpret data, not just report it
• Proactively identifies issues and opportunities without being prompted
• Understands FOB vs landed cost
• Aware of freight, duty, fuel, and accessorial impacts
• Familiar with rebates, MDF, coop, and dating terms
• Understands how small cost changes impact pricing and margin

• Thinks one step ahead and prepares options, not just questions
• Understands why SKUs exist and how they contribute to traffic vs profit
• Recognises when complexity adds risk rather than value
• Escalates issues with context and proposed solutions

• Competitive salary ($55,000 - $65,000) and benefits
• Exposure to real buying and merchandising decision‑making
• A clear development path toward a full Buyer role
• A fast‑growing, hands‑on operating environment where your work directly impacts results
• A collaborative, no‑nonsense team focused on execution and continuous improvement