November Merchant Academy - USR Merchandise Specialist

Staples, Inc.; Framingham (MA); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Hybrid work arrangements

401(k) with company match

Associate store discount

On-site café and fitness center

Job summary

Staples, Inc. is shaping modern work and learning with an Omni Merchandising focus.

The entry-level Merchandising Specialist role offers training, mentoring, and growth within the Merchandising team. You will learn competitive analysis, promotional planning, market research, trend identification, and SKU maintenance while collaborating with cross-functional teams including Merchandising, Marketing, Inventory Planning, Store Operations, eCommerce, and Stores.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance or related field.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Excel skills with pivot tables and formulas (VLOOKUP, SumIf, IFERROR).
• Excellent organizational and communication abilities.
• Ability to multitask and adapt to new initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Attend vendor meetings to collaborate on business plans and new products.
• Conduct market research and track trends.
• Collaborate with vendors and internal teams to launch products and set pricing.
• Assist with SKU/vendor setup and maintenance.
• Manage ad sign-off process and digital assets.
• Process product returns, price changes, coupons/rebates, and markdowns.
• Retrieve financial data to review performance with Buyer.
• Respond to stores' questions about products and vendors.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Excel (Pivot Tables, Formulas)

Organizational skills

Team player

Communication skills

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance or related field

Job description

TheMerchandise Specialistat Staples Retail is transforming modern work and learning.Our Omni Merchandising organization offers entry-level opportunities with training, mentoring, and promotional opportunities to grow within the Merchandising team. Starting as a Merchandising Specialist, you will learn about competitive analysis, promotional planning, market research, identifying trends and new products, SKU set-up/maintenance, proofing marketing assets, website metrics, and more. Our people are the heart of our success, and we believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create, and do.You will gain exposure to a wide variety of cross-functional teams including Merchandising, Marketing, Inventory Planning, Store Operations, eCommerce, and Stores, to name a few.

Learn about and impact store merchandise and sales:

• Attend vendor meetings to collaborate on business plans and gain exposure to new products
• Conduct market research, gather industry data, track trends, competitive shopping
• Work with vendors and internal teams to launch new-to-market products, vendor program agreements, and price change worksheets
• Obtain samples and assist with POG and Promo set up at the Lab
• Manage the ad sign-off process and digital marketing assets with support
• Proactively manage the SKU and vendor setup and maintenance process
• Process product returns, price changes, price protection, coupons/rebates, and markdowns
• Retrieve/source financial data/reports to review performance with Buyer
• Answer communication from stores on products and vendors; other responsibilities as assigned

Essential skills and experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Finance or related field
• Strong Microsoft Office skills
• Strong Excel skills; ability to use a pivot table and calculate/enter formulas such as v-lookups, SumIf and IfError.
• Strong organizational skills
• Enjoy working in teams and being highly communicative
• Able to multitask and be flexible with new initiatives

Preferred skills and experience:

• Interest in learning about retail and merchandising
• Strong math skills

Get great perks.

• Generous amount of paid time off
• Flexible work arrangements, including hybrid and flexible work hours
• 401(k) plan with a company match, variety of benefits and options, associate resource groups
• Associate store discount and more perks (discounts on mobile plans, movie tickets, etc.)
• Corporate office includes a café (i.e., coffee, cappuccinos, teas), 24/7 fitness center, convenience store, on-site dry cleaning, Chef Louie's Cafeteria, and more