Senior Buyer – Footwear

YM Inc; Toronto; On-site; CAD 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a Senior Buyer for Footwear to create a focused fashion assortment. This role involves negotiating with vendors, analyzing market trends, and making strategic purchasing decisions to drive profitability. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in fashion merchandising, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively across departments. Join a dynamic team that values innovation and offers opportunities for career advancement while making a significant impact in the retail sector.

Benefits

Health and Dental Benefits Plan

Paid Sick Days

Employee Discount

Tuition Reimbursement

Ongoing Training and Development

Career Advancement Opportunities

On-site parking

Paid time off

Qualifications

• 4+ years of Fashion Merchandising experience required.
• Experience with suppliers and buyers is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate with vendors to secure best pricing and product value.
• Analyze sales reports to identify margin opportunities.

Skills

Fashion Merchandising

Vendor Negotiation

Market Analysis

Product Development

Communication Skills

Education

Post-secondary education in Fashion

DCS / DEC

Tools

AS400

Illustrator

Microsoft Office

Job description

YM Inc. was founded on the strength of a single retail store in the heart of downtown Toronto in 1975, under the name Stitches. Today we are one of North America’s leading apparel retailers operating over 750 stores across Canada and the United States under the following banners: Stitches, Urban Planet, Urban Behavior, Sirens, Forever 21, Urban Kids, Suzy Shier, Le Chateau, Bluenotes, Aeropostale, Amnesia, Thriftys, West 49, Mandee, Charlotte Russe, and Rue21.

Our goal is to sustain performance that exceeds expectations. We are committed to creating a culture where people feel valued and inspired to achieve results. We give our people the appropriate tools, freedom and authority to make decisions. They are accountable for their actions and we recognize their efforts and reward their results. We attract and nurture the best people by providing leadership opportunities, career development and continuous learning. We are committed to leading by example and with integrity. We treat people with respect and dignity, promote the benefits of diversity and address challenges in a direct and compassionate manner. We engage people in our goals and objectives; we listen and act on new ideas where possible. That is our Philosophy.

How you will make a difference:

The Senior Buyer – Footwear is responsible for using their sense of style, knowledge of fashion trends and understanding of their target customers’ needs to create a focused fashion assortment. This role is responsible for selecting and purchasing apparel and accessories from manufacturers, designers, or wholesalers to match seasonal investment requirements and fashion trends. Senior Buyers must positively impact the bottom-line profit of their responsibilities/categories by achieving budgeted sales, GM/ROI, unit turns and inventory levels.

What You’ll Do:

1. Negotiate with vendors to develop merchandise with the best possible price/value relationship in the marketplace.
2. Develop and correspond with vendors regarding product development, order placement, delivery follow up, initiation of new orders, PO revisions and cancellations, shipping, packing, and pre-ticketing.
3. Lead the creation of specification and detail packages for private label programs to be developed.
4. Implement product assortment focusing on cost, price points, key items, vendor, promotions, for areas of responsibility in concert with supervisor.
5. Supervise approval of product prior to production.
6. Access all buying functions in AS400 and The Eye.
7. Create and analyze buying reports.
8. Open Order Report – complete all received orders, ensure accuracy of information on report and list vessel information for import orders.
9. Analyze performance and plans to look for sales and margin opportunities that can exceed plans.
10. Analyze business reports, OTB, Buying Plans, Assortment Plans, Open Order, Velocity and Class Sales Ranking Reports.
11. Coordinate photo shoot samples.
12. Coordinate needs with Planner, Allocation Analysts, Assistant Buyers and General Merchandise Manager.
13. Visit stores to audit product assortment, allocation, visual set up and presentation.
14. Communicate and liaise with all departments of the Company as it applies to the purchase, delivery, receipt, ticketing, processing, pricing, and quality of merchandise.
15. Partner with Visual team to develop effective presentation plans and promotions.
16. Participate in sales, product, and merchandise meetings.
17. Stay abreast of fashion trends, market climate, competition, promotional and test strategies.
18. Communicate new ideas, proposals, concepts etc.
19. Train and evaluate direct reports.

What You’ll Need:

• Post-secondary education in Fashion and/or related experience required.
• Minimum of 4 years of working Fashion Merchandising experience.
• Previous work experience with suppliers and buyers an asset.
• Knowledge of the retail industry an asset.
• Illustrator and AS400 skills are an asset.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office.

What we offer:

• Competitive Compensation Package.
• Health and Dental Benefits Plan.
• Paid Sick Days.
• Employee Discount.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Ongoing Training and Development.
• Career Advancement Opportunities.
• Being part of an amazing, supportive and collaborative team.

YM Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. If chosen to participate in the selection process, accommodations are available upon request. We will consult with the applicant to provide or arrange suitable accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant’s accessibility needs.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent.

Benefits:

• Dental care.
• Extended health care.
• Life insurance.
• On-site parking.
• Paid time off.
• Store discount.

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday.

Ability to commute/relocate:

• North York, ON M6A 2W1: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required).

Education:

• DCS / DEC (preferred).

Experience:

• Fashion Merchandising: 4 years (required).
• Footwear Buying: 2 years (required).