Description
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Develops new and existing vendor relationships.
- Collaborates in developingthe merchandisestrategies that define which categories will grow,stabilizeand decline while still achieving financial metrics. Provides recommendationsregardingclose-out, opportunistic, and everyday businesses.
- Collaborates with Planning to develop a merchandise plan to support the strategy and achieve goals.
- Identifiesopportunities to exploit sales and margin opportunities and partners with Planning and Allocation to develop execution tactics.
- Collaborates with Planning, Allocation, Advertising, Merchandise Presentation, Distribution and Transportation Services, and Field Management to understand and improve upon internal company processes.
- Travelsto stores weekly to understand merchandise packaging and presentation requirements, customerrequirementsand customer trends. Shops competitor stores weekly to assessdirectionof competition and understand competitive pricing structures.
- Travels to trade shows and vendor locations to develop a network of contacts, to stay informed on industry and competitor direction, and to source deals. Travel may involve overseas in selected buying positions.
- Develops a collaborative team atmosphere through an open exchange of ideas and positive feedback between Buying, Planning, Allocation, and Store Marketing team members.
- Responsible for achieving annual sales dollar, margin dollar, Average Unit Retail (AUR), and inventory turn target goals for assigned categories.
- Trains andmentorsothers, asrequested.
Knowledge,Skillsand Abilities
- Collegedegree, required.
- Minimumof three years of retail buying experience, preferred.
- Excellent negotiation and marketing skillsrequired.
- Excellent verbal and written communication andorganizationskills.
- Motivatedand self-starter, willing to take on new challenges and learn every aspect of merchandising.
- Excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship building skills with the ability to thrive in a teamenvironment required.
- Strong computer skills includingproficiencyinspreadsheet, wordprocessingand data analysis toolsrequired.
- Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally as needed.
- Ability to manage a complex business model that may include close-outs, opportunistic, and everyday businesses.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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