Associate Buyer

Job Title

Associate Buyer

Location

Support Center - Las Vegas, NV 89119 US (Primary)

Job Type

Full-time

Category

Buying / Merchandising

Education

Job Description

The Associate Buyer is responsible for curating and managing the optimum assortment for our customers with responsibility for specific department(s) within a larger buying complex. The Associate Buyer will work to create the appropriate merchandise mix based on emerging market trends, along with working with the supplier base and supervisory Buyer to develop category and supplier strategies. They are responsible to achieve the sales, margin, and turnover targets for his/her respective buying areas and they will provide assistant support to the Buyer for other department needs.

Location: Support Center, 6600 S Bermuda Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Schedule: Monday - Friday, Weekends as needed, 40 - 50 hours per week

Pay: $62,000 - $70,000

Benefits:

• Employee Discount
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance
• Flex Time Off
• Disability Insurance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) with company match

Job Summary

• Develop and execute merchandise assortment strategies to meet or exceed the financial goals
• Product development as needed in accordance with the respective property brands, departments, and concepts.

• Initiate purchase orders and manage store assortments.
• Work with vendors to resolve purchase order discrepancies and compliance issues.
• Partner with Planner to manage and adhere to Open-to-Buy (OTB) budget.
• Create and maintain open lines of communication & partnership with Buyer, Planner, Store Managers, Regional Managers and other co-workers.
• Negotiate with vendors to secure the best terms for maximum margin results, including supplier income, and best pricing as well as markdown and/or RTV agreements.
• Analyze business at division, department, class, subclass, attribute, and store level.
• Prepare for and participate in regular Merchandising meetings such as Weekly Performance Meetings, Month End Review / OTB meetings, Collaboration meetings, New Store Review meetings, etc.
• Visit our stores to evaluate assortments, presentations, stock levels, marketing, customers, and obtain feedback from store personnel. Visit competitors to evaluate pricing, assortments, and market trends for possible opportunities.
• Work closely with Planner to manage allocation, reorder flow, and product lifecycle including promos, markdowns, transfers and RTVs.
• Regularly attend industry trade shows to source new vendors, meet with existing vendor partners, and identify emerging trends.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

• 2+ years of retail buying experience.
• Solid understanding of assortment planning and commercial analysis
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite & Excel
• Retail math knowledge
• Organized, detailed oriented, and strong time management skills
• Ability to take initiative and work in a fast paced, ever-changing environment.
• Bachelors degree preferred

Additional Requirements

• Frequent sitting
• Limited standing, walking, climbing, crouching, bending, pushing, or pulling
• Limited travel or overnight
• Occasional travel or overnight
• Frequent travel or overnight; including international
• Normal or corrected vision and hearing
• Can distinguish varying or specific colors, patterns, or materials
• Fluency in English is required for training, customer interactions, and ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures
• Typically, indoors
• Typically, at a consistent temperature
• Lift 0-25 lbs.
• Use of fine motor hand functions

We can't wait to meet you so apply today!

About Us

WHSmith is a leading global travel retailer with over 1,700 stores across 30 countries worldwide. WHSmith North America, incorporating Marshall Retail Group (MRG) and InMotion, represents over half of the Company's international store estate, with a collection of attractive, successful specialty retail stores located in airports and resorts across North America.

WH Smith prides itself on creating unique experiences for customers by developing distinctive retail store concepts that feature and highlight the local culture, community, and lifestyle of the cities in which they are located.

EEO/ADA/DFWP

WH Smith is committed to employing a diverse workforce. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin/ancestry, age, gender identity, gender expression, military/veteran status, marital status, disability status or any other basis prohibited by law. It is about each person bringing passion and skills to a dynamic and inclusive workplace!

Advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with a merchandising software platform.