Buyer (New York City Metropolitan Area)

Job Title: Merchant – All Categories - Forever 21

Reports To: Director of Merchandising

Location: In-Office | Monday–Friday

Position Summary

We’re looking for a passionate and results-driven Merchant to lead the buying strategy for our e-commerce website across all departments . This role is responsible for building trend-right, brand-right assortments that drive sales, margin, and inventory turn. You'll play a key role in shaping the product design, strategy, collaborating across departments, and ensuring consistent performance and innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision:

Define and execute a clear product strategy and seasonal business plan. Align with cross-functional partners in Design, Planning, and Production to bring the vision to life.

Trend & Product Development:

Partner with the Design team to forecast trends and translate them into customer-relevant assortments. Focus on delivering innovative, brand-aligned products.

Market Awareness:

Stay informed on competitors and the broader marketplace. Make strategic, data-informed decisions to position the assortment ahead of trends and customer needs.

Sales & Inventory Planning:

Build and manage seasonal plans for sales, markdowns, receipts, and inventory flow. Own the Open-to-Buy, focusing on achieving margin and Weeks of Supply targets.

In-Season Management:

Monitor sales performance in real-time. Identify opportunities to chase or pull back, maximizing top-line results and minimizing markdowns.

Performance Analysis:

Continuously evaluate the business to identify areas for improvement. Quickly respond to emerging trends and shifts in customer behavior.

Collaboration & Meetings:

Lead and contribute to business meetings, ensuring alignment on goals, timelines, and deliverables. Drive clarity and accountability.

Other Duties:

Support team initiatives and projects as assigned.

Work Environment

This is an in-office role, Monday–Friday .

Collaboration is focused around product development, milestone meetings, and key approvals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business, or related field.
• 3–5+ years of buying experience in a specialty or fashion retail environment.
• Strong understanding of fashion trends and consumer behavior.
• Proven success managing sales, margin, and inventory metrics.
• Analytical and creative thinker — able to challenge and collaborate with both Planning and Design teams.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to influence peers and senior leadership.
• Passion for product, innovation, and building a winning assortment.

Pay Range and Compensation Package

The annual base salary for this position starts at 100k. Actual starting pay is determined by various factors, including but not limited to relevant experience.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity.