Merchandise Coordinator

European Imports; Arlington Heights (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

European Imports, Ltd. in Arlington Heights, IL is seeking a Merchandise Coordinator to support sales, category management, purchasing and vendors. You will coordinate item setup, lifecycle, and communications across the business to keep operations running smoothly.

You will serve as the merchandising point of contact for item setup, vendor inquiries, and data management, while assisting category managers with training and sales support. Strong MS Office and detail orientation are essential.

Qualifications

• HS Diploma required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in business or related preferred.
• 2+ years relevant experience required.
• At least 1 year of experience in purchasing, merchandising, sales and/or customer service in retail, wholesale or distribution.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate new item setup by collecting and validating vendor/item information for accurate system entry.
• Maintain item maintenance, lifecycle administration, and vendor records.
• Serve as the merchandising point of contact for item setup and transactional requests.
• Track inbound shipments, inventory allocation, and order confirmation to ensure timely fulfillment.
• Respond to product, pricing, inventory, and operational inquiries from sales teams.
• Support category managers with training preparation and proactive issue resolution.

Job description

This position can office out of Asian Foods in St. Paul, MN or European Imports in Arlington Heights, IL.

The Merchandise Coordinator plays a vital role in supporting the success of the merchandising organization by serving as a key link between Sales, Category Management, Purchasing, Vendors, and Operating Companies. This position is responsible for coordinating product and vendor setup, coordinating item lifecycle activities, supporting sales execution, and ensuring accurate and timely communication across the business.

30 Product & Vendor Management

• Coordinate new item setup by collecting and validating vendor/item information for accurate system entry.
• Maintain ongoing item maintenance, updates, and lifecycle administration.
• Coordinate new vendor onboarding and maintain vendor records and documentation.
• Serve as the merchandising point of contact for item setup and transactional requests

25 Vendor & Supply Chain Coordination

• Serve as primary contact for vendors regarding samples, pricing updates, images, shortages, quality concerns, and related inquiries.
• Support resolution of outstanding vendor payments
• Track inbound imported shipments from departure through arrival to ensure visibility and timely communication.
• Monitor drop-ship order execution and confirm accurate shipment and invoicing activity.
• Support inventory allocation, receiving, and order confirmation processes to ensure timely fulfillment.

25 Sales & Operational Support

• Support sales teams by responding to product, pricing, inventory, and operational inquiries.
• Track and monitor various activities such as item launch performance, item hypercare, demand status, special orders.
• Assist in resolving customer, vendor, and operational issues through proactive communication and follow-up.
• Communicate urgent supplier, inventory, product, and promotional updates to sales teams.
• Assist Category Managers with sales training preparation.

20 Process & Data Management

• Coordinate the workflow for new item stocking requests and ensure timely completion of required approvals and documentation.
• Support new item onboarding by entering, validating, and maintaining product data to ensure timely and accurate launches.
• Maintain reporting, tracking tools, and merchandising records.
• Process merchandising-related system updates, including pricing and market cost changes.
• Identify process improvement opportunities that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and service levels.

Education Required

HS Diploma

Education Preferred

Bachelor’s Degree in business or related

Experience Required

2 or more years relevant experience

Experience Preferred

At least 1 year of experience in purchasing, merchandising, sales and/or customer service and at least 1 year of experience working within a retail, wholesale or distribution environment

Skills And Abilities

• Advanced computer skills required, proficient with MS office applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent accuracy, record keeping, organization, prioritization, attention to detail, follow up and problem-solving skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with internal and external customers
• Ability to concentrate for extended periods of time
• Strong communicator with excellent relationship building skills across a variety of stakeholders
• Ability to research issues, resolve discrepancies and follow up with timely communication to all key stakeholders
• Ability to quickly learn and understand systems to answer basic inquiries without escalating