Merchandise Assistant – Special Sizes

Jobtailor; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a detail-oriented Retail Support professional to assist the buying team in Philadelphia. You'll help manage merchandise flow, organize samples, and coordinate with vendors and production to keep projects moving.

This role emphasizes strong communication, multitasking in a fast-paced environment, and the ability to anticipate customer needs and trends while supporting daily operations of the buying area.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years of retail experience or internship.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Detail-oriented with ability to multitask.
• Understanding of customer wants and needs.
• Ability to identify products/trends that appeal to customers.

Responsibilities

• Support daily operational functions within the designated buying area.
• Assist the buying team in managing merchandise flow.
• Develop cross-functional relationships with market and internal partners, including distribution center, design, and production.
• Partner with the Buyer and/or Associate Buyer on necessary tasks.
• Open and distribute packages and mail to appropriate team members.
• Organize sample areas and vendor catalogs.
• Manage and set up samples for styleouts and meetings.
• Request missing samples from vendors or production.
• Request samples for web turnover, press previews, and meetings.
• Check mailboxes twice daily, distribute mail, and drop interoffice mail in the mailroom.
• Answer emails promptly and organize communications.
• Take digital photos of items and styleouts.
• Manage and maintain picture packs.
• Print department classes on combined web velocity for the Buyer and Associate Buyer.
• Pass samples to the Product Coordination team weekly with completed tags and Product Information sheets.
• Contact vendors with feedback and answer shipping-related inquiries.
• Set up new vendors as needed.
• Run attribute reports every Monday morning.
• Make necessary attribute changes and confirm accurate coding.
• Review the Buyer’s calendar weekly and prepare for upcoming meetings.
• Add meetings to the Buyer’s calendar and book rooms when appropriate

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented

Multitasking

Customer focus

Creative thinking

Retail math

Tools

Sample Management

Attribute Reporting

Product Information Management

Vendor Coordination

Retail Math

Job description

• Support daily operational functions within the designated buying area
• Support the buying team in managing overall merchandise flow
• Develop cross-functional relationships with market and internal partners, including distribution center, design, and production
• Partner with the Buyer and/or Associate Buyer on necessary tasks
• Open and distribute packages and mail to appropriate team members
• Organize sample areas and vendor catalogs
• Manage and set up samples for styleouts and meetings
• Request missing samples from vendors or production
• Request samples for web turnover, press previews, and meetings
• Check mailboxes twice daily, distribute mail, and drop interoffice mail in the mailroom
• Answer emails promptly and organize communications
• Take digital photos of items and styleouts
• Manage and maintain picture packs
• Print department classes on combined web velocity for the Buyer and Associate Buyer
• Pass samples to the Product Coordination team weekly with completed tags and Product Information sheets
• Contact vendors with feedback and answer shipping-related inquiries
• Set up new vendors as needed
• Run attribute reports every Monday morning
• Make necessary attribute changes and confirm accurate coding
• Review the Buyer’s calendar weekly and prepare for upcoming meetings
• Add meetings to the Buyer’s calendar and book rooms when appropriate

Requirements

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented
• Ability to work in a fast-paced work environment with a sense of urgency
• Understanding of customer wants and needs
• Ability to identify appropriate products/trends that appeal to customers and meet their expectations
• Ability to prioritize projects and handle multiple tasks
• Creative thinking
• Rudimentary understanding of retail math
• 1–2 years of retail experience or internship

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong communication and interpersonal skills while effectively managing merchandise flow and supporting the buying team. Capable of prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced retail environment and understanding customer trends and needs.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Retail Experience
• Communication Skills
• Detail-Oriented
• Creative Thinking
• Time Management

Hard Skills

• Retail Math
• Sample Management
• Attribute Reporting
• Product Information Management
• Vendor Coordination

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Ability to Multitask
• Sense of Urgency

Industry Keywords

• Merchandise Flow
• Cross-Functional Relationships
• Styleouts
• Customer Trends
• Product Coordination