Associate Buyer Job Description
Associate buyer
provides direction during advertising turns-ins and proofing • Provides correct information and inputs for point of sale signage and maintains integrity of quality of signage for ease of store execution level • Creates and inputs advertising plan • Establishes collaborative relationships with placement to ensure availability and the timely delivery of merchandise • Monitors and maintains promotional performance • Manages and controls the markdown process and communicates variances to the buyer • Analyzes sales trend, key items, vendor profitability and aged inventory and makes recommendations for driving improved performance • Assists in the development of product and negotiation to include cost, subsidy and terms Skills/Experience Requirements: • Merchandising, product and analytical skills • Proficiency in the use of desktop applications and Windows-based programs • Retail math literacy and application of concepts to daily operations • Strong working knowledge of Assortment Planning, Clustering, SPRS, AdPlan, Frequency, MRE, Promotional Performance Reporting (AdEffect), SignRiter.
Associate Buyer Duties & Responsibilities
To write an effective associate buyer job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included associate buyer job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Own the product life cycle including seasonal assortment planning, line development and merchandise selection
Manage the life cycle of all products which include creating POs, submitting orders to Customer Service, ensuring accuracy of sales orders, tracking product ETA dates and alerting all necessary parties when inventory has been received
Analyze selling by division and class for all 3 websites and preparing weekly, monthly, seasonal reports
Review selling and submit reorders on a weekly/monthly bases for replenishment
Manage all new and revised products on seasonal merchandise flow spreadsheets
Study sales history and inventory levels to evaluate which divisions/classes have potential for growth
Manage all content for the email blast calendar
Identify business opportunities to maximize business
Manage the RTV process from start to finish by working with Customer Service and also creating returns in the E-Commerce business platform
Manage the markdown process from creating the markdown list and making all necessary adjustments in the back end of the E-Commerce platform to execute the markdown in the front end
Associate Buyer Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Licensing or Certifications for Associate Buyer
List any licenses or certifications required by the position: ACE, APICS, AS9100, CPIM, C.P.M, CPSM, A.P.P, ISM, CPM, NAFTA
Education for Associate Buyer
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the associate buyer job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Associate Degree in Business, Education, Supply Chain Management, Business/Administration, Finance, Associates, Engineering, Communications, Manufacturing, Marketing
Skills for Associate Buyer
Desired skills for associate buyer include:
Assortment Planning
Clustering
Frequency
Promotional Performance Reporting
Desktop applications and Windows-based programs
Strategic Performance Reporting System
AdPlan
MRE
SPRS
SignRiter
Desired experience for associate buyer includes:
Monitor the front end of website to ensure all products are merchandised properly to maximize selling potential
Manage the process of creating merchandise boards with seasonal buys
Support all operations and administrative buying functions
Build product assortment in partnership with local and global merchandising teams
Partner with SP Buyer to present complete seasonal strategy with Planning and Merchandising to BU leadership internal eCom marketing team to validate assortment choices, financial roll up, and marketing and promotional support
Partner with Visual Merchandiser to create premium product presentation on-site and partner with inventory analyst to ensure appropriate in-stock position to maximize sell thru
Associate Buyer Examples
1
Associate Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is looking to fill the role of associate buyer. Thank you in advance for taking a look at the list of responsibilities and qualifications. We look forward to reviewing your resume.
Responsibilities for associate buyer
- Support detailed planning per category at the size or article level, based on defined range, sport-specific demand and financial goals
- Drive analysis of seasonal assortment using the data to drive cross-functional initiatives to ensure target achievement and to create strategies for future seasons
- Manage the product launch calendar
- Manage procurement of local-specific articles including quick turn programs
- Assist the buyer to identify future product opportunities, trends, and offerings which will impact the business
- Use reporting to develop an in-depth understanding of product performance and customer base, develop action plans
- Develop and execute an assortment strategy consistent with overall enterprise merchandise strategy
- Partner closely with specialty buying & wholesale about monthly markdowns
- Develop and maintain a selling environment that highlights key product by season
- Create monthly visual presentation strategy, communicate to assistant buyer
Qualifications for associate buyer
- Develop and communicate cross sell strategy by season
- Oversea product set up and order maintenance in RAMS
- Manage the timely entry of markdowns to ensure seamless transitions
- Actively perform weekly, monthly and seasonal sales analysis to make short and long term recommendations to drive (sub)category business
- Develop and present line plan to Buyer for merchandise category or department (Private Label and market) to achieve financial goals
- Communicate financial plan product risks and opportunities cross-functional partners
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Associate Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of associate buyer. Please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications. While this is our ideal list, we will consider candidates that do not necessarily have all of the qualifications, but have sufficient experience and talent.
Responsibilities for associate buyer
- Partner with Buyer to create pricing architecture for assortment to leverage sales and margin
- Partner with other online merchants to ensure compelling merchandising and story-telling across categories, making sure that we outfit our girl’s entire wardrobe
- Understand the competition by conducting patterning activities that require the shopping of benchmark competitors to identify opportunities and challenges for in-season business and future site executions
- Help manage assistant buyer, ensuring accurate and timely work and development of additional capabilities
- Responsible for any team execution that assistant merchant and/or merchant operations are not able to address
- Communicate changes in merchandise assortments and messaging to the appropriate members of the cross-functional team on a timely basis
- Collaborate with Inventory Management to develop annual and seasonal financial plans
- Manages vendor relationships including negotiations, reporting and marketing strategies
- Responsible for accurate catalog proofs, website, visual packets, signage and perimeter packets for assigned categories
- Responsible for resolving and/or escalating product issues to inventory partners, Call Center and Stores
Qualifications for associate buyer
- Must be able to communicate product risks/opportunities to the financial plan
- Maintain accurate Open To Buy and monitor results to determine required adjustments or corrective action
- Analyze business by color and size, chain wide
- Ensure accurate, timely entry of ad prep
- Assist buyer in generating accurate purchase orders
- Communicate with DC to ensure timely DC processing of receipts and RTVs
3
Associate Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of associate buyer. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for associate buyer
- Maintain accurate, timely methods of communication with all business partners
- Maintain knowledge of product and industry trends through market trips, online services, industry journals and fashion magazines
- Work with buyer to develop skill level and knowledge in buying practices, vendor relations/negotiations, marketing practices and merchandise presentation
- Assist the Buyer in executing departmental strategies including input on assortment plans, floor plans, marketing, and pricing action
- Support the Brick & Mortar assortment plans with divisional web site assortment plans
- Prepare and present seasonal product presentations to senior management
- Clearly understand the cross channel merchandise strategy for each respective B&M banner, and have a thorough understanding of the target customer for each B&M banner
- Work closely with the Planners to maintain an open-to-buy forecast in Marketmax to meet and exceed the category’s assigned budget
- Keep inventory aging within divisional standards
- Execute concise liquidation strategies with the Liquidation department
Qualifications for associate buyer
- With support of the Senior Buyer, procures merchandise in the appropriate quantities, within the appropriate time framework, at the best prices
- Works closely with planning and distribution staff to develop merchandise plans, react to trends and execute effective distribution strategies
- Manages and controls the OTB, with the support of the Senior Buyer
- Interacts with Design and Sourcing and maintains external communication with Licensees and 3rd Party Vendors
- Maintains an active role in the planning and communication of marketing/floor set direction for his/her department(s)
- Visits stores to review presentation, stock content/levels, identify problems, and listen for suggestions, comments
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Associate Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our innovative and growing company is looking to fill the role of associate buyer. To join our growing team, please review the list of responsibilities and qualifications.
Responsibilities for associate buyer
- Manages samples
- Responsible for all day to day managing, planning and execution in the department, processing of all paperwork, open to buy format, orders, vendor communication
- Perform weekly, monthly and seasonal sales analysis to make short and long term recommendations to drive (sub)category business
- Develop and present line plan to Buyer for merchandise category or department to achieve financial goals
- Partner with our Accessories buyer to create pricing architecture for assortment to leverage sales and margin
- Understand business opportunities and successfully communicate needs to Global Merchandising partners and other key stakeholders in order to secure future product development and strategic goals
- Visit stores and market regularly to understand customers’ and stores’ product and merchandising needs
- Identify product opportunities through regular “hind-sighting that incorporates
- Maintain updated knowledge of key competitor product, distribution and pricing strategies
- Manage product pricing variances across all European market
Qualifications for associate buyer
- Partner with Planning & Allocation team to analyze sales and inventory in order to substantiate and financially support recommendations
- Stay abreast of competition and trends through market visits, competitive shopping and analysis
- Minimum 5 years of related merchandising/buying experience
- Excellent analytical skills and knowledge of retail math
- Ability to build relationships across all levels and work collaboratively to achieve results
- An euntreprenarial mindset, ability to take initiative and react quickly to shifting priorities
5
Associate Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is growing rapidly and is hiring for an associate buyer. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for associate buyer
- Experience building and maintaining a product range for an e-commerce site, highly preferred
- Detailed analysis on subjects under associate buyer’s domain
- Create communications relevant to execution of product or promotional set up in stores
- Manage open to buy for select subjects
- Manage title level detail in all relevant systems and with all internal partners and outside vendors
- Ownership of product assortment, selections and development
- With support of the Senior Buyer, merchandises and buys balanced assortment with adherence to receipt plan and sales and gross margin goals
- Works closely with planning to develop quarterly plans (item and program) reflective of division strategy
- Adeptly analyzes business results weekly, monthly, and quarterly
- With the support of the Senior Buyer, partners with planning in monthly OTB process strategizing appropriate pricing and promotional cadence
Qualifications for associate buyer
- Minimum of 1 year experience in Associate Buyer role
- Interacts with Design and Sourcing and Maintains close communication with outside vendors
- Shops competition to monitor fashion trends, pricing strategies and presentation techniques
- Generates monthly/quarterly competitive recaps and proposes actions based on trends in the CK business competitive market accordingly
- Maintains an active role in the planning and communication of marketing/floor set direction
- Responsible for all day to day departmental tasks to support Sr