Buyer - Softlines

Job Description

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops new and existing vendor relationships.
• Collaborates in developing the merchandise strategies that define which categories will grow, stabilize and decline while still achieving financial metrics. Provides recommendations regarding close-out, opportunistic, and everyday businesses.
• Collaborates with Planning to develop a merchandise plan to support the strategy and achieve goals.
• Identifies opportunities to exploit sales and margin opportunities and partners with Planning and Allocation to develop execution tactics.
• Collaborates with Planning, Allocation, Advertising, Merchandise Presentation, Distribution and Transportation Services, and Field Management to understand and improve upon internal company processes.
• Travels to stores weekly to understand merchandise packaging and presentation requirements, customer requirements and customer trends. Shops competitor stores weekly to assess direction of competition and understand competitive pricing structures.
• Travels to trade shows and vendor locations to develop a network of contacts, to stay informed on industry and competitor direction, and to source deals. Travel may involve overseas in selected buying positions.
• Develops a collaborative team atmosphere through an open exchange of ideas and positive feedback between Buying, Planning, Allocation, and Store Marketing team members.
• Responsible for achieving annual sales dollar, margin dollar, Average Unit Retail (AUR), and inventory turn target goals for assigned categories.
• Trains and mentors others, as requested.

Knowledge,

Skills and Abilities

• College degree, required.
• Minimum of three years of retail buying experience, preferred.
• Excellent negotiation and marketing skills required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and organization skills.
• Motivated and self-starter, willing to take on new challenges and learn every aspect of merchandising.
• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship building skills with the ability to thrive in a team environment required.
• Strong computer skills including proficiency in spreadsheet, word processing and data analysis tools required.
• Must be able to travel domestically and / or internationally as needed.
• Ability to manage a complex business model that may include close-outs, opportunistic, and everyday businesses.