Liquidation Specialist

The Liquidation Specialist is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, negotiating, and purchasing closeout, liquidation, overstock, excess inventory, customer returns, and distressed merchandise opportunities for a discount retail business. This role develops relationships with manufacturers, retailers, distributors, liquidators, and bankruptcy/trustee channels to identify high-value inventory opportunities and maximize profitability.

Responsibilities

• Identify and secure liquidation, closeout, overstock, cancelled-order, and excess inventory opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with liquidators, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
• Analyze inventory lots for quality, resale potential, market demand, and margin opportunities.
• Negotiate purchase terms, pricing, freight, and volume agreements.
• Review manifests, inventory reports, and warehouse opportunities to determine value and profitability.
• Travel to warehouses, liquidation events, and supplier locations as needed to inspect merchandise.
• Monitor market trends and competitive pricing within the discount retail industry.
• Partner with merchandising, logistics, and operations teams to ensure successful product acquisition and sell-through.
• Source merchandise from channels including warehouse overstocks, retailer closeouts, bankruptcies, customer returns, and seasonal excess inventory.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of buying, liquidation, closeout sourcing, wholesale purchasing, or discount retail experience.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Proven ability to identify profitable inventory opportunities and manage risk.
• Knowledge of liquidation channels, secondary markets, and discount retail operations.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen.
• Willingness to travel and work in a fast-paced, opportunity-driven environment.