Buyer - Toys

Avolta (old); East Rutherford (NJ); On-site; USD 83,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

Paid time off

Holiday pay

Employee discounts across brands

Employee assistance program

Career growth opportunities

Referral bonus

Job summary

Avolta is seeking a Buyer – Toys for the North America Support Center in East Rutherford, NJ. The role sources, curates, and purchases toy merchandise for Duty Free and Duty Paid locations, developing assortments that meet market trends and store needs.

The position requires a strong background in retail buying, supplier negotiations, and data analytics, with a focus on family and gift purchasers. Travel up to 15% may be required; office-based role with robust growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Five years combined education and experience in buying or retail buying.
• Experience delivering buying programs in a retail environment.
• Experience in toys, gifts, or licensed merchandise is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Sources, develops, and curates toy brands, products, and assortments aligned to company goals and store needs.
• Monitors toy trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activity to identify opportunities and gaps.
• Manages supplier relationships, negotiates pricing/terms, and supports delivery schedules.
• Analyzes sales, margins, inventory, and product performance to optimize assortment mix.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams for openings, resets, and promotions.

Skills

Retail buying experience

Vendor relations

Analytical thinking

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Excel

SAP

Job description

Opportunity, growth, and meaningful rewards! We offer:

• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (vacation, flex or sick)
• Holiday pay

Employee discounts across all company brands

Employee assistance program

• Training and exciting career growth opportunities
• Referral program – refer a friend and earn a bonus

Benefits may vary by position so ask your recruiter for details.

Advertised Compensation:$82,500.00to$100,000.00

Purpose: The Buyer – Toys is responsible for sourcing, selecting, and purchasing toy merchandise for Duty Free and Duty Paid locations. This role develops assortments that align with company objectives, customer demographics, market trends, and location-specific opportunities, ensuring the right products are available to drive sales and maximize profitability.

Essential Functions:

• Sources, develops, and curates toy brands, products, and assortments that align with company objectives, customer preferences, market trends, and location needs.
• Monitors toy industry trends, consumer preferences, emerging brands, licensed products, and competitor activity to proactively identify opportunities and assortment gaps.
• Develops assortments across relevant toy segments, including plush, collectibles, games, activities, licensed products, novelty, travel-friendly toys, and destination/local products, as appropriate for the business.
• Manages supplier and vendor relationships, negotiates pricing and terms, and works with partners to support optimal delivery schedules.
• Analyzes sales, margin, inventory, and product performance to make informed decisions on assortment mix and replenishment.
• Develops and maintains an understanding of the target customer, including traveling families and gift purchasers, adjusting assortments as customer needs and trends evolve.
• Identifies opportunities to tailor assortments based on airport, market, store format, available space, and customer profile.
• Addresses aged and slow-moving inventory and develops strategies for markdowns, promotions, vendor support, and inventory disposition.
• Executes SKU rationalization to maximize productivity and profitability based on available space and assortment strategy.
• Partners with Planning using OTB to manage inventory levels and support sales and financial targets.
• Develops exit strategies for non-go-forward items, including negotiating RTVs and implementing markdowns, promotions, and price changes.
• Partners cross-functionally to support new store openings, resets, seasonal programs, promotional events, and major commercial initiatives.
• Ensures toy assortments are commercially relevant while considering product quality, age appropriateness, packaging, and applicable product requirements.

Reporting Relationship: The Buyer – Toys reports to the Category Director, Non-Luxury.

Major Interdependencies: Global Category Team, Supply Chain, Master Data, Revenue Generation, Planning, Space Planning, Marketing, and Operations.

Minimum Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Work Environment
Education and Experience:

• The combination of education and professional experience must exceed five years.
• In a technical role: Requires five years of retail experience engaged in delivering buying programs.
  • A bachelor’s degree in a program related to the functional area may count for three years of the five-year requirement.
• In the industry: 3–5 years of retail experience.
• Experience in toys, gifts, specialty retail, licensed merchandise, or related categories is preferred.

Specialized Training:

• Training that leads to an in-depth understanding of the buying and merchandising function.
• Strong knowledge of financial tools and category profitability, with the ability to use market research, consumer insights, and trend information to maximize performance.
• Strong product sense with the ability to identify emerging toy trends, brands, licenses, and commercially viable products.
• Ability to balance trend-driven merchandise with proven core products and location-specific assortment needs.
• Versatility, flexibility, and willingness to work enthusiastically and independently in an environment with constantly changing priorities.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written, interpersonal, and vendor communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Experience with SAP preferred.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to understand the long-term implications of buying and assortment decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to understand the needs of the business, stakeholders, and individual locations.
• Demonstrated history of building collaborative relationships and working cross-functionally to achieve common goals.

Location / Travel

• This position is based at the North America Support Center in East Rutherford, NJ.
• Requires ability to travel up to 15% of the time for meetings, vendor/industry events, and branch visits.

Avolta, including Dufry, HMSHost Corporation, Hudson, and affiliates (“the Company”), is an equal opportunity employer. It is the Company’s policy to ensure equal employment opportunity in all aspects of employment and to comply with anti-discrimination laws and regulations. The Company prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and provides equal opportunities to applicants and team members without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, age, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, national origin, disability, military service and veteran status, ancestry, citizenship status, marital status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances (referred to as “protected characteristics”).

Nearest Major Market: New York City
Nearest Secondary Market: Newark