Apparel Buying Assistant & Merch Analytics

Rural King; Mattoon (IL); On-site; USD 29,618 - 36,093; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Healthcare plans

Virtual doctor visits

Centers of Excellence access

Associate discount

SmartDollar program

Assistance program

Chaplaincy services

YMCA membership

Job summary

Rural King in Mattoon, IL seeks an Assistant Buyer to maintain data integrity and support efficient procurement processes. You will manage vendor relationships and handle essential administrative tasks to keep merchandising on track.

You will begin to build product knowledge, retail concepts, and cross-functional collaboration skills while contributing to team goals and customer value. This role offers growth in a people-first environment with strong benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in merchandising, design, business, marketing, or related field is required.
• Strong MS Office skills; familiarity with procurement software is a plus.
• Prior experience in an administrative or purchasing support role is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail are essential.

Responsibilities

• Perform support activities for the buying team, such as purchase order management and processing markdowns, while building foundational merchant skills and learning the keys to becoming a successful merchant.
• Provide basic analysis of key business data to the Buyer, including the use of retail math to understand the business, monitoring of regional merchandise reports, stock analysis, and other ad-hoc analysis to project sales and inventory levels.
• Assist with the preparation and analysis of procurement reports and spreadsheets
• Populating product candidates for Marketing review and execution
• Responsible for visual line and merchandise list, and works within Merchandise systems to set up and maintain all SKUs.
• Develop effective relationships with vendors, which include following up on shipments and resolving problems to ensure the product is delivered and processed as directed by the Buyer.
• Maintain strong, positive relationships with cross-functional partners across inventory, design, development, e-commerce, and creative teams
• Organize and maintain vendor contact information and contract files
• Support buyers in scheduling meetings, preparing presentations, and coordinating product samples
• Help ensure compliance with purchasing policies and procedures
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

Microsoft Office

Procurement software

Administrative support

Organizational skills

Communication

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Merchandising, Design, Business, Marketing, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Procurement software

Job description

Rural King in Mattoon, IL seeks an Assistant Buyer to maintain data integrity and support efficient procurement processes. You will manage vendor relationships and handle essential administrative tasks to keep merchandising on track.

You will begin to build product knowledge, retail concepts, and cross-functional collaboration skills while contributing to team goals and customer value. This role offers growth in a people-first environment with strong benefits.