Workwear Buyer

Cavender's; Tyler (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Cavender’s is seeking a Merchandising Buyer in Tyler, TX to own product selection, pricing, and promotional strategies that drive sales, margin, and profit goals. You will work closely with Merchandising and Planning to optimize assortments, inventory investments, and customer experience.

Lead a team of associates, develop strategic plans, manage a high-volume portfolio, and partner with Marketing to advertise key products. Travel up to 20% may be required for vendor and store initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in retail/merchandising
• 6+ years of progressive experience as a merchant in a specialty retail environment
• 2+ years of merchandising department leadership experience
• Hands-on with tactical plans aligned to strategic goals
• Proficiency with Word and Excel
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Travel up to 20%

Responsibilities

• Support Cavender’s Culture and drive Mission, Vision and Values
• Partner with merchants, planning, and marketing to optimize assortment and pricing
• Lead junior Merchandising Department Associates to meet financial goals
• Manage a high-volume, multi-department area including Omni-channel website
• Develop and communicate an assortment plan aligned with financial expectations
• Partner with Planning to maximize sales, margin and turn
• Maximize web sales, margin and messaging
• Collaborate with Marketing to identify products to advertise
• Assess competition and respond to market trends

Skills

Strategic merchandising

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical skills

Customer-focused decisions

Vendor partnerships

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Retail merchandising, Business, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

The Merchandising Buyer is responsible for product selection, pricing, and promotional strategies to achieve sales, margin, and profit goals for their assigned business. This role is highly product-focused and drives results through strong vendor partnerships, detailed analysis, and customer-centric decision-making. The Buyer collaborates closely with the Merchandising and Planning teams to ensure the right products are available at the right time and place, maximizing inventory investment and enhancing the customer experience. Key responsibilities include trend analysis, strategy development, and proactive response to sales performance. This position reports to the VP of Merchandising and Planning and requires strong attention to detail, sound judgment, and effective problem-solving skills.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the “Cavender’s Culture” and drive our Mission, Vision and Values
• Serve as a strategic partner and key support resource to the company
• Lead junior Merchandising Department Associates to deliver on financial and talent goals and objectives
• Manage a high volume, complex or multi-department area which includes website for Omni-channel business
• Make focused decisions based on brand integrity and company values to ensure an understanding of our core customer for highest customer satisfaction
• Set priorities, foster cohesion and provide motivation to cross-functional teams
• Develop and communicate a conceptual assortment plan for department needs that tie to financial expectations (style assortment, key item needs, retails, IMU’s, AUR’s) in a timely manner
• Partner with Planning to ensure the appropriate financial strategies and distribution to maximize sales, margin and turn of the business
• Determine quantities to order by style, size and color; validate to OTB plan in a timely manner
• Validate space with assortment plan to ensure appropriate depth is achieved by store volume (size)
• Maximize Web sales, margin and messaging
• Partner with Director of Marketing to identify product to be advertised
• Manage, develop and educate direct reports while providing guidance, mentoring and coaching
• Assess the competition with respect to financial condition, trends, marketing and product strategy; react accordingly to ensure market leadership

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Retail merchandising, Business, or related field or equivalent work experience
• 6+ years of progressive experience as a merchant in a specialty retail environment
• 2+ years of merchandising department leadership experience
• Must be hands-on and capable of developing, preparing and implementing tactical plans in support of strategic company goals
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Must possess a clear understanding of retail financial measurements and how to impact them
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time

Preferred Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge and proven ability to identify trends and business opportunities
• Functional expertise in all areas of Buying, Merchandising, Planning, Allocations and Inventory Control
• A proven track record developing and building an apparel business
• Experience in developing and curating a private label plan is a plus
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills
• Previous experience with western wear

Cavender’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, military status, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, or any other personal characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.

Cavender’s will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with a disability upon request. If you have a disability and need assistance completing the application, please call Customer Service at [phone] or visit your nearest Cavender’s store.