General Merchandise Buyer

University of Toronto Press; Toronto; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Toronto Press is seeking a General Merchandise Buyer to oversee product life cycle management for selected categories. The role involves strategic purchasing, inventory management, and collaboration with various teams to optimize sales and customer service. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in retail buying and excellent negotiation skills.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or procurement.
• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and financial aptitude.
• Proficient in inventory management systems and Microsoft Excel.

Responsibilities

• Manage product life cycle for General Merchandise categories.
• Develop merchandise strategies based on data and trends.
• Negotiate product costs and manage inventory levels.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication

Inventory management

Creativity

Education

Post-secondary education

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Inventory management systems

Job description

Join to apply for the General Merchandise Buyer role at University of Toronto Press

Join to apply for the General Merchandise Buyer role at University of Toronto Press

You’ll be responsible for the product life cycle management of selected General Merchandise (GM) product categories including product selection, acquisition, merchandising, marketing, and management of inventory. You’ll achieve in addition to sales, gross margin, and inventory goals, a robust merchandise strategy for your assigned categories including development of assortment plans, strategic purchasing, inventory management, promotion and markdown planning required to achieve the targets. You’ll collaborate with store management, marketing, receiving and E-commerce teams to provide the best possible service to customers, while optimizing productivity.

Key responsibilities:

Category management

• Select and purchase new products to meet customer demand and maximize profitability

• Develop merchandise strategies based on current data, trends and forecast margin opportunities

• Negotiate product cost and payment terms to optimize margin

• Research and analyze consumer trends, market data, and sales performance to identify product needs and opportunities

• Monitor inventory levels and product performance; make recommendations for reorders or discontinuations

• Purchasing: Negotiate product cost and payment terms to optimize margin, calculate optimal quantities to limit stock-outs, enter purchase orders and follow up with suppliers on deliveries.

• Data entry: Enter and maintain product information, manage purchase orders, and customize reporting for assigned categories

• Process returns and address defects with suppliers in a timely manner

• Liaise with University of Toronto (U of T) Ancillary Services, who manage the licensing of the U of T brand

• Stay up to date on industry and market trends by attending trade shows, conferences, performing competitive shopping analysis, and maintaining positive relationships with suppliers and Campus Store counterparts

Store Execution and Merchandising:

• Ensure that assortment is available through ecommerce for online shopping and in all the retail locations as planned

• Communicate with Receiving and Accounting departments regarding shipping or cost discrepancies

• Collaborate with merchandising, marketing, and store teams to plan product launches, promotions, and seasonal assortments

Other responsibilities:

• Participate in special projects and other duties related to the GM team

Here’s what we are looking for:

Education, Qualifications, and Experience:

• Post-secondary graduate, or equivalent combination of education and experience

• 2–5 years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or procurement

Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

• Excellent negotiation, analytical, and financial aptitude

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

• Proficient in inventory management systems and Microsoft Excel

• Energetic and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

• Excellent merchandising sense; fosters creativity in others

• Commercial knowledge in product selection

• Commitment to continuous learning, a growth mindset

• Values matter to you. You bring your whole self to work and you live our values of accountability, innovation, respect, and customer focus

About our Retail team

The U of T Bookstore provides many important goods and services to the University of Toronto community. We operate four stores across the three U of T campuses (St. George, Mississauga, Scarborough, and Faculty of Law) and a large online shop that ships Canada-wide and internationally. We offer a wide selection of course materials including new, used, digital, and custom course pack options, all competitively priced with a student budget in mind. We also carry U of T–branded clothing and merchandise, gifts, trade books, technology products, school supplies, and more.

About University of Toronto Press

University of Toronto Press (UTP) is one of the largest university presses in North America, publishing landmark scholarship since 1901. Each year UTP releases over 200 new scholarly, course, and general interest books in both print and eBook format and over 45 journals. In addition, UTP manages the distribution for over 200 publishers and imprints in Canada, the US and around the world, with warehouses in Toronto ON and Buffalo NY. UTP also runs all of the University of Toronto Bookstores across the three main campuses, serving over 95,000 students and 15,000 faculty. For more information, please visit utorontopress.com.

As the leading university press in Canada and one of the largest in North America, we acknowledge our role and responsibility in effecting positive change. With this, we seek to continuously improve the diversity and representation of our publications and the clients we represent, as well as within the makeup of our organization. With strong commitment from leadership, we are collectively bringing forward change across the organization, both within our company culture and in our publishing, distribution, and retail endeavours. UTP operates with mutual trust, respect, and integrity as we strive to identify and remove barriers. We are committed to making UTP a great place to work by addressing and challenging systemic inequities.

Interested in applying?

Please visit our website to apply online https://utorontopress.com

We truly thank all applicants for their interest in joining the Press, only those candidates considered for an initial interview will be contacted.

The University of Toronto Press encourages applications from all qualified candidates. If you need accommodation at any stage of the application process or want more information on our accommodation policies, please contact the People Team at 416.978.2239 ext. 2255.

For a list of what UTP offers employees, please click here

This is a current vacancy within our organization.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Associate

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Purchasing

• Industries

  Retail

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