Buyer - Food, Candy and Snacks

Cracker Barrel; Lebanon (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus opportunities

Medical, Rx, Dental and Vision

401k plan with company matching

Employee discounts on Cracker Barrel

Career development and tuition support

Job summary

Cracker Barrel is seeking a strategic Buyer to own a defined retail category portfolio from concept through sourcing and launch. You will lead assortment strategy, pricing, vendor negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver profitable growth.

The role emphasizes leadership, inventory productivity, and end-to-end product lifecycle management, with the potential to mentor a team and influence store performance across supply chain, marketing, and QA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Retail Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in retail buying, merchandising, category management, or related commercial food/consumer goods roles.
• Demonstrated ownership of a category with accountability for sales, margin, and inventory productivity.
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing at least one direct report or equivalent leadership responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Own category strategy, including assortment, pricing, and vendor relationships.
• Lead product development, commercialization, and curation for assigned categories.
• Manage open-to-buy, receipt flow, item productivity, and pricing architecture with cross-functional partners.
• Lead weekly and seasonal business reviews, reorders, promotions, and exits as needed.
• Translate insights from consumer, competitive, and vendor data into actionable recommendations for growth and margin.

Skills

Category Leadership

Vendor Negotiations

Cross-functional Collaboration

Retail Math & Forecasting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Retail Management

Job description

They say you are the company you keep - and at Cracker Barrel, we take that seriously. At the Store Support Center, we’re in the business of serving those who serve our guests. Whether you’re designing solutions, telling our story, or setting our teams up for success, your work makes a difference every single day. Here, the work means more because we take pride in doing it together. So, join our team and find your place, because here...we’re all in good company.

What You'll Do - You'll Make The Moment

The Buyer is a strategic merchandising leader responsible for end-to-end ownership of a defined retail category portfolio, with accountability for sales, margin, inventory productivity, product differentiation, and long-term category growth. This role sets and executes assortment strategy aligned to brand positioning, guest insights, food and consumer trends, and financial objectives while leading the product lifecycle from opportunity identification and concept development through sourcing, commercialization, launch, in-season optimization, and exit strategy.

The Buyer shapes category vision, defines assortment architecture and pricing strategy, leads vendor partnerships and negotiations, and translates market, guest, food/CPG trend, and performance insights into decisive actions that improve productivity. This role may also support branded and private label product strategies, partnering cross-functionally on product quality, packaging, claims, costing, value perception, and speed-to-market. In addition to leading through cross-functional influence, this role may directly manage and develop at least one team member, helping build merchandising capability, strengthen execution, and elevate decision-making across the team. The Buyer is expected to influence cross-functional decisions, model strong leadership, and consistently deliver profitable, brand-right growth.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Category Leadership, Assortment Strategy, and Brand Fit

• Own a defined merchandise category or portfolio of categories, including assortment strategy, financial performance, vendor structure, and multi-season growth plans
• Set category direction by translating guest insight, competitive intelligence, food and consumer trend analysis, and business performance into differentiated assortment strategies
• Define assortment architecture across key item programs, replenishment, seasonal newness, opening price point, and premium offerings to maximize productivity and brand relevance

Product Development, Commercialization, and Innovation

• Lead product development, commercialization, and curation for assigned categories, ensuring assortments are guest-right, operationally feasible, competitively positioned, and aligned with brand standards
• Guide product formulation, packaging, quality expectations, claims, pricing, and value perception in partnership with vendors and internal stakeholders
• Drive innovation and category evolution by identifying white space opportunities, emerging trends, brand-right product concepts, and private label opportunities that support long-term growth
• Translate consumer, competitive, and vendor capability insights into commercially viable assortment, packaging, cost, and go-to-market recommendations

Financial Ownership and Inventory Productivity

• Own category performance against sales, gross margin, turn, markdown, and inventory productivity targets, with accountability for balancing growth, profitability, and risk
• Partner with Planning and Allocation to shape open-to-buy, receipt flow, item productivity, pricing architecture, and inventory investment decisions
• Apply advanced retail math, forecasting insight, and scenario analysis to make informed decisions that improve category returns and reduce inventory exposure

In-Season Business Management

• Lead weekly and seasonal business review processes to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and take decisive action on reorders, cancellations, promotional strategies, markdowns, consolidations, and exits
• Continuously evaluate SKU productivity and assortment productivity to inform future buy strategies, space allocation, and portfolio optimization
• Own end-of-life and exit strategies for underperforming items in ways that protect margin, improve inventory health, and create space for newness

Vendor Strategy and Management

• Lead vendor relationships for assigned categories, including strategic sourcing, negotiations, cost management, performance expectations, and long-term partnership development
• Negotiate costs, terms, exclusivity, and product development opportunities that strengthen margin performance and support differentiated assortments
• Evaluate vendor and co-packer capabilities across product quality, packaging execution, food safety expectations, production capacity, cost management, service levels, and speed-to-market

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Influence cross-functional partners across Planning, Allocation, Supply Chain, Marketing, QA, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, and eCommerce to move products from concept through launch effectively
• Present category strategies, assortment recommendations, performance insights, and financial actions to leadership with clear business rationale and executive presence
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and category workstreams, aligning partners around priorities, decisions, timelines, and business outcomes

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop at least one direct report, providing clear direction, ongoing feedback, and support for individual growth and performance
• Set expectations, prioritize work, and reinforce accountability to ensure high-quality execution and strong business outcomes
• Build team capability by sharing merchandising expertise, strengthening decision‑making, and supporting development of business acumen and functional skills

Experience And Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Retail Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• 5+ years of progressive experience in retail buying, merchandising, category management, CPG brand management, product development, or related commercial food/consumer goods functions, with increasing ownership of assortment, product, brand, or category decisions
• Demonstrated experience owning a category or major assortment with accountability for sales, margin, inventory productivity, and vendor performance
• Experience leading, coaching, and developing at least one direct report or comparable people leadership responsibility

Focus on You

We're all about making sure you're taken care of too. Here's what's in it for you:

• Good Work Deserves Good Pay: Competitive Annual Salary | Annual Bonus Opportunities
• Support That Goes Beyond the Clock: Medical, Rx, Dental and Vision Benefits on Day 1| Life Insurance and Disability Coverage | Paid Vacation/Employee Assistance Program
• Grow and Thrive Your Way: Business Resource Groups | Tuition Reimbursement | Professional Development
• Culture of Belonging: Support that starts on day one | Onboarding, training, and development to help you thrive | Recognition programs and employee events that bring us together
• Invest in Your Future: 401k Plan with Company Matching Contributions at 90 days | Employee Stock Purchase Program
• More Perks, Just Because: 35% Discount on Cracker Barrel Food and Retail items | Exclusive Biscuit Perks like discounts on home, travel, cell phones, and more!

A Little About Us

Since 1969, Cracker Barrel has been a place to gather around delicious food, abundant servings, unexpected finds, and a warm welcome. Over time, it's become even more - somewhere folks can reconnect and feel at home. With more than 70,000 team members nationwide, we take pride in our roots -- always serving up more than a meal.

Cracker Barrel is an equal opportunity employer.

Qualified applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, age, marital status, medical condition, disability or any other class expressly protected by law.