Associate Merchant: Growth & Category Strategy

EXPRESS; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

PHOENIX Retail, LLC, operating Express and Bonobos brands, seeks an Associate Merchant to drive product assortment strategies and cross-functional collaboration across Planning, Design, and Production. This role analyzes sales performance and market trends to optimize inventories and revenue.

You will partner with Marketing and Visual Merchandising to ensure timely launches and accurate brand representation across channels, contributing to top and bottom-line growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in business, retail merchandising, or fashion merchandising.
• 3-5 years of experience in product merchandise buying, with demonstrated success in managing a product category.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to interpret data and drive actionable decisions.
• Acute understanding of brand positioning, customer insights, and fashion trends.
• Ability to collaborate across functions and build strong working relationships.
• Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proficiency in Google applications and retail management systems.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate to develop and execute seasonal assortments that align with financial goals, customer expectations, and market trends.
• Analyze sales performance and market trends, identifying growth opportunities and risks, and recommending actionable strategies to improve sales and manage inventory.
• Own the day-to-day operational functions, including order management, sample coordination, pricing updates, and system maintenance.
• Conduct competitive market research, analyzing assortments, pricing, and promotions to inform product development and pricing strategies.
• Work closely with Planning and Design teams to ensure the product assortment reflects key product attributes and meets financial targets.
• Support cross-functional teams, such as Production, Marketing, and Visual Merchandising, to ensure timely product launches and alignment with brand objectives.
• Present product assortment in key meetings, such as investment reviews, with clear product stories to gain cross-functional and leadership alignment.
• Act as the subject matter expert in the category, staying informed of emerging trends and customer insights to help drive future product development.
• Manage in-season markdowns and inventory tracking to optimize sales performance and reduce excess inventory.
• Support the development of new product assortments, including roadmaps, style selection, and product launches.
• Collaborate with Marketing to ensure product is accurately represented in all channels, including digital platforms.
• Contribute to cross-functional discussions to ensure product delays and launch timing are communicated effectively to all stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Communication skills

Brand positioning

Education

Bachelor's Degree in business, retail merchandising, or fashion merchandising

Tools

Google applications

Retail management systems

Job description

PHOENIX Retail, LLC, operating Express and Bonobos brands, seeks an Associate Merchant to drive product assortment strategies and cross-functional collaboration across Planning, Design, and Production. This role analyzes sales performance and market trends to optimize inventories and revenue.

You will partner with Marketing and Visual Merchandising to ensure timely launches and accurate brand representation across channels, contributing to top and bottom-line growth.