Retail Buyer Job Description
Retail buyer
provides estimated inventory levels for future planning periods based on on-hand inventory, expected demand, and scheduled / projected receipts.
Retail Buyer Duties & Responsibilities
To write an effective retail buyer job description, begin by listing detailed duties, responsibilities and expectations. We have included retail buyer job description templates that you can modify and use.
Sample responsibilities for this position include:
Responsible for all aspects of buying and planning for a department or classification
Prepare and manage open to buy to reflect sales trends
Maintain inventories in all stores through sales/stock analysis
Develops seasonal merchandise assortment
Manage department or department’s direct purchase assortments
Analyze sales trends for recommendations on assortment purchases and pricing strategies
Identify and recommend new business opportunities to drive future growth
Communicate weekly selling updates and mark down recommendations
Execute weekly markdowns to improve inventory turns
Select seasonal and core product assortment for assigned department or departments
Retail Buyer Qualifications
Qualifications for a job description may include education, certification, and experience.
Education for Retail Buyer
Typically a job would require a certain level of education.
Employers hiring for the retail buyer job most commonly would prefer for their future employee to have a relevant degree such as Bachelor's and Collage Degree in Business, Merchandising, Education, Marketing, Administration, Business/Management, Fashion, Fashion Merchandising, Design, Management
Skills for Retail Buyer
Desired skills for retail buyer include:
Excel
Bicycles
Online merchandise techniques a bonus
Demand planning software
JDE
Varying markets and trends across all DTC channels
Web based analysis tools
Above all Excel
Automated purchasing and inventory systems
Available products
Desired experience for retail buyer includes:
Collaborate with Brand Merchants and Brand Partners for best seller suggestions and transfer products
Create and maintain merchandising assortment plans for assigned departments
Create and maintain buy plans for assigned departments under director’s guidance
Ensure and update systems of Outlet prices to be below Brand pricing per Outlet Strategies
Execute our liability product process for assigned departments to align with monthly OBT
Collaborate, and execute the Brand Transfer Product process (OMEGA) for departments
Retail Buyer Examples
1
Retail Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of retail buyer. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for retail buyer
- Build Visual Merchandising Map to execute quarterly store floor layouts
- Create forecast buy plans by SKU for department buy plans to roll to total budget’s plan
- Create and write POs for assigned departments and track POs to ensure on time delivery
- Provide Allocation Team final assortment plans and product details
- Communicate to cross functional partners any product changes that can effect areas
- Correspond with functional areas to resolve, handle and escalate difficult issues on product quality issues, re-ticketing issues, or customer service needs
- Understand competitive environment
- Provide Inventory Management with final assortment plans (line lists), product details, target retails, estimated MMU or landed mark-up, importance to overall assortment (big bets), flow to DC and depiction for developing purchase projections and buy plans
- Collaborate with Inventory Management and recommend adjustments (markdowns, delivery changes and quality changes) to the plan to maximize sales, profits, budget (OTB) and to protect the brand
- The Buyer drives financial results that maximize sales, inventory, and bottom line profitability
Qualifications for retail buyer
- Trend Analysis and problem solving skills are required
- A/BS required
- Ability to travel extensively throughout the EMEA zone
- A minimum of a 2.1 degree in a relevant discipline
- Knowledge of retail math and calculation of metrics such as inventory turn, weeks of supply, margin, gross –to-net
- P&L management and ROI analysis
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Retail Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is hiring for a retail 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 retail buyer
- Responsible for determining order quantities and ensuring investment fits within financial plan and will meet or exceed financial goals and customer expectations
- Leads and develops merchandise talent at diverse levels
- Responsible for entering and managing all markdowns, promotions, cost changes and retail changes in the RMS system
- Manage all merchandising responsibilities within the PLM system for core programs and new seasonal developments
- Spearheads the seasonal SKU setup process from start to finish and responsible for timely PO placement
- Buyer will have direct buying responsibility in key departments and/or locations including new location assortments and transitions
- Work with Planning Team to identify all financial goals and implement strategies accordingly
- Recommend and execute product pricing strategies, merchandising and flow strategies based on current analysis, seasonal trends, historical data, and forecasts as it relates to margin opportunities
- Ensure adequate transitional quantities and timing of flow on basic and seasonal programs
- Understand the brand strategy / identity and translate it into the right product proposition for our stores in the constant effort of maximizing image and sell out results
Qualifications for retail buyer
- Tailor store offerings based on Stores space allocation, store attributes, type of location and traffic
- Manage Buys and Open to Buy – in coordination with Retail Planners – to achieve Store Sales and Margin goals
- Partner with Field for input on sales, fit, communicate findings to relevant stakeholders and cross-functional partners
- Qualified candidates must have experience in retail buying, planning, visual merchandising and store operations
- Clear understanding of financial measures and how decisions affect brand
- Influences and defends a point of view to peers and management
3
Retail Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of retail buyer. If you are looking for an exciting place to work, please take a look at the list of qualifications below.
Responsibilities for retail buyer
- Collect the different needs from all areas and present to corporate merchandising
- Monitor sell out on a regular basis and take all the appropriate in season actions to adjust the offer according to the sales trend
- Recap the end of season results and anticipate the next season’s needs for all areas
- Collaborate with Customer Service in order to guarantee best deliveries
- Collaborate with Merchandising and Visual merchandising to build the season strategy in terms of windows/deliveries per month and master order
- Tailor the buying according to the lay out and capacity of the stores
- Ensure that key items are 100% in-stock by store
- Collaborate with Inventory Management and recommend adjustments (markdowns, delivery changes and quantity changes) to the plan to maximize sales, profits, budget (OTB) and to protect the brand
- Develop one Assistant Buyer
- Clear understanding of financial measures and levers
Qualifications for retail buyer
- Must possess strong time management skills with ability to focus and manage multiple projects with shifting priorities
- Leads self and others through adversity and deals with paradox
- Leverages historical data, consumer insight, field input, and trend to create sound business strategies
- Analyzes problems and develops timely and effective solutions
- Demonstrates strong collaboration with cross-functional team
- Relevant experience of 4 - 6 years in same position in luxury woman fashion brands (different backgrounds and industries will not be considered in this recruiting)
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Retail Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of retail buyer. We appreciate you taking the time to review the list of qualifications and to apply for the position. If you don’t fill all of the qualifications, you may still be considered depending on your level of experience.
Responsibilities for retail buyer
- Responsible to partner with manager to develop seasonal strategies that align with overall strategic vision
- Develop and articulate a POV about product assortment and business opportunities weekly
- Provide strategies and marketing plan related to our catalog while helping to paginate product categories
- Partner with key Ecomm and web merchants to ensure website drives business and engages customers to influence conversion
- Work with off line vendors as needed to supplement assortment
- Assist Buying team in the selection and purcjase of product from vendor lines to augument planned assortments on trend data
- Assist Buying team in performing market analyses
- Maintain assortment plans and continuously assess market to identify and react to trends
- Create and file Purchase Orders and worksheets as needed
- Communicate any changes to existing orders to the Purchase Order department
Qualifications for retail buyer
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Retail Administration, Merchandising, Business, or other related field and/or related experience preferred
- Merchandising skills preferred
- 5+ years Buying/Merchandising experience required
- Degree in Economics or Mathematics is preferable
- Knowledge of SAP will be highly valued
- Merchandising for Footwear or Apparel
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Retail Buyer Job Description
Job Description Example
Our growing company is searching for experienced candidates for the position of retail buyer. We appreciate you taking the time to review the list of qualifications and to apply for the position. If you don’t fill all of the qualifications, you may still be considered depending on your level of experience.
Responsibilities for retail buyer
- Facilitate strong working relationships between corresponding Merchandising team
- Coordinate with wholesale teams to identify recut opportunities and share markdown cadence
- Own administrative aspects of Women’s business including weekly reporting, product feedback logs, and P.O
- Coordinate with Buyers, Planners, Logistics, Accounting, and vendors to ensure production requirements are followed
- Act as a point of contact for production on all third party product issues
- Develop business strategies and seasonal assortment plans to maximize the development of the brand, sales and profits for a department or assigned area
- Identify opportunities and recommend new product or concepts for department
- Manage information across functions working closely with Design, Inventory Management, Sourcing, Production, Packaging and Visual to ensure the process is followed and timelines met
- Obtain feedback from stores to improve product and add to collections
- Responsible for reviewing catalog proofs and website testing for each season (pricing, naming, copy)
Qualifications for retail buyer
- Knowledge and interest in the athletic industry, trends and/or athletic product lines preferred, specifically related to the NBA, MLS, and collegiate landscape
- Strong Team Player, Coach & Manager
- Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Business, Retail Merchandising or related field and/or relevant experience
- Stong time management skills with a sense of urgency
- Travel required to visit existing stores, new store openings, conventions and seminars
- Merchandise planning/analysis and inventory pipeline skills from concept to permanent markdown