Associate Buyer - Household Essentials

Meijer; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading retail company as a Category Manager, where you'll drive strategic direction, manage vendor relationships, and utilize market information to shape product offerings. You'll collaborate with key stakeholders while contributing to our community-focused mission with opportunities for personal growth and leadership development.

Benefits

Weekly pay

Scheduling flexibility

Paid parental leave

Paid education assistance

Team member discount

Development programs for advancement

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in the retail industry preferred.
• Buying, inventory or analysis experience preferred.
• Knowledge of market, retail business and customers.

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic direction for categories, focusing on assortment and pricing.
• Manage vendor relationships and negotiate for markdown support.
• Collaborate with Buyer and Merchandise Planning for financial planning.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Planning skills

Understanding of product trends

Enthusiasm for retail

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft applications

Job description

As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family - take care of your career and your community!

Meijer Rewards

• Weekly pay

• Scheduling flexibility

• Paid parental leave

• Paid education assistance

• Team member discount

• Development programs for advancement and career growth

Please review the job profile below and apply today!

This position is responsible for working with the Buyer in setting the strategy for the assortment, pricing, promotion, planogram and marketing of categories to deliver to customer expectations and the financial plan. This position is also accountable for managing vendor relationships.

What You'll be Doing:

• Drive the strategic direction of their categories to align with the goals of the division to make Meijer the most compelling place for customers to shop by focusing on Assortment, Pricing, Brands, Marketing, and Store Presentation.
• Visit stores (both Meijer and competition) regularly to proactively understand assortments, pricing and store presentation.
• Utilize internal and external market information to anticipate trends and future customer needs to drive brand and item selection.
• Collaborate with Buyer and Merchandise Planning to develop the financial plan.
• Partner with Buyer to develop the overall direction and performance of merchandising categories.
• Drive the category review process and timeline and make recommendations based on analysis.
• Collaborate with Merchandise Planning to complete open-to-buy forecasts.
• Work with team to develop and approve master and version planograms.
• Approve Merchandise Planning recommendations on markdown strategy.
• Negotiate with vendors for markdown support or returns.
• Collaborate with Buyer to determine pricing strategy for category / product that maintains Meijer's pricing integrity, sales, and direct margin dollars.
• Review pricing analytics with Pricing Coordinator to determine optimal pricing.
• Determine promotional (advertising or price) based on competition and seasonality.
• Collaborate with Buyer and Merchandise Planning on inventory demand to support promotional strategy.
• Evaluate marketing effectiveness for categories.
• This job profile is not meant to be all inclusive of the responsibilities of this position; may perform other duties as assigned or required.

What You Bring with You (Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree
• 2+ years of experience in retail industry preferred.
• Buying, inventory or analysis experience preferred.
• Knowledge of the market, retail business and customers.
• Knowledge of business drivers (e.g. pricing, promotion, assortment).
• Planning skills.
• Negotiations skills.
• Sense of product trends.
• Enthusiasm, Initiative and passion for retail.
• Office computer skills; able to learn company systems and tools, preference for Microsoft application experience.