Summary
The Buyer directs content strategy, product selection and use of customer and trend information to support division merchandise strategies and partners with planners to achieve financial objectives across multi-channel channels.
Responsibilities
- Develop product plans to support seasonal department merchandise strategies based on customer expectations and fashion trends
- Develop deep multi-channel expertise including presentation knowledge, customer behavior and competitive landscape for store and online channels
- Negotiate exclusive offerings, terms, pricing, vendor-funded-markdowns, return-to-vendor agreements and drop-ship programs
- Manage and direct in-season inventory management including markdowns, claims and re-orders
- Partner with buy planner and financial planner on business reviews and open-to-buy management to achieve financial goals
- Teach, coach and motivate assistant buyers to drive in-season performance and assortment editing
- Be jointly accountable with planners to meet departmental sales volume, gross margin and GMROI targets
Requirements
- 4+ years of experience as a multichannel or omnichannel retail Buyer or equivalent
- Strong negotiation skills and experience maintaining vendor relationships
- Demonstrated understanding of the companys retail and service environment
- Proficiency in MS Office suite
- Bachelors degree in Merchandising or related field preferred
- Experience managing a high sales volume category with high SKU count and seasonality preferred
- Ability to analyze financial metrics and support open-to-buy and assortment decisions
