Purchasing Manager

Position Overview

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for overseeing product procurement, vendor relationships, inventory planning, merchandising strategy, and product performance across Pro-Play Games' retail and online operations. This position plays an important role in ensuring that purchasing decisions align with customer demand, sales trends, company priorities, and available inventory.

The Purchasing Manager works closely with the Sales Department to evaluate product performance, identify sales opportunities, and ensure employees have the product knowledge and operational direction needed to support company goals. This individual should understand how purchasing, pricing, merchandising, customer demand, and employee execution work together to drive revenue and maintain a strong customer experience.

The Purchasing Manager will also provide leadership support within the storefront as operational needs arise. The ideal candidate is commercially minded, comfortable working with employees and customers, and capable of balancing strategic decision-making with day-to-day operational responsibilities.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Purchasing and Vendor Management

• Manage the purchasing of trading card games, tabletop products, collectibles, accessories, and other merchandise across approved vendors and distributors.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with vendors, distributors, and other purchasing partners.
• Negotiate pricing, product allocations, purchasing terms, credit arrangements, and delivery expectations when appropriate.
• Create, review, and track purchase orders from initial submission through delivery.
• Confirm that products, quantities, pricing, and delivery information are accurate before orders are finalized.
• Address purchasing discrepancies, delayed orders, damaged merchandise, and vendor-related concerns in a timely manner.
• Identify new products, vendors, and purchasing opportunities that support company growth and customer demand.
• Ensure all purchasing activity is properly documented and communicated to the appropriate departments.

Inventory and Product Performance

• Monitor inventory levels, product movement, and purchasing needs across retail and online sales channels.
• Review historical sales data, market activity, customer demand, seasonal trends, product releases, and upcoming events when making purchasing decisions.
• Identify slow-moving, overstocked, understocked, or high-demand products and recommend appropriate action.
• Partner with Sales, Fulfillment, Warehouse, and Online Operations to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Develop purchasing strategies that balance product availability, anticipated demand, inventory risk, and company budget.
• Monitor inventory health and recommend transfers, promotions, markdowns, bundles, or other strategies to improve product movement.
• Evaluate the financial performance of product categories and adjust purchasing priorities accordingly.
• Maintain awareness of trading card game releases, product cycles, market conditions, and customer purchasing behavior.

Sales and Merchandising Support

• Collaborate with the Sales Manager and department leadership to establish product priorities, merchandising plans, promotional opportunities, and sales initiatives.
• Use sales results and customer feedback to help guide purchasing, pricing, and product placement decisions.
• Ensure that newly released, high-demand, or strategically important products are clearly communicated to the Sales Department.
• Support the development of product displays, featured merchandise, promotional bundles, and other sales-driving initiatives.
• Provide employees with relevant product information, release details, pricing updates, and key selling points.
• Help identify opportunities to improve customer engagement, average transaction value, product attachment, and overall sales performance.
• Observe sales-floor activity and provide constructive feedback regarding product presentation, product knowledge, and customer service.
• Assist with the coordination and execution of major product releases, promotional periods, tournaments, and other high-volume sales periods.
• Remain available to assist customers and employees with complex product, pricing, inventory, or purchasing questions.

Team and Operational Leadership

• Maintain a consistent leadership presence and support effective communication between Purchasing, Sales, Fulfillment, Warehouse, and Online Operations.
• Provide direction and support to employees regarding product priorities, merchandising standards, inventory concerns, and customer needs.
• Help reinforce company expectations related to customer service, professionalism, productivity, accountability, and workplace communication.
• Coach employees on product knowledge and sales opportunities in coordination with the appropriate department manager.
• Support the onboarding and training of employees whose responsibilities involve product knowledge, inventory, merchandising, or sales.
• Assist with resolving operational concerns that affect product availability, sales execution, or the customer experience.
• Provide leadership coverage and operational support during manager absences, high-volume periods, special releases, and other business needs.
• Escalate employee relations, disciplinary, payroll, attendance, or policy concerns to Human Resources and the appropriate department leadership.
• Participate in leadership meetings, planning discussions, and cross-department projects as requested.
• Take on additional operational or team-leadership responsibilities based on company needs and demonstrated performance.

Reporting, Communication, and Accountability

• Prepare regular reports regarding purchasing activity, inventory health, product performance, vendor performance, sales trends, and purchasing efficiency.
• Track purchasing budgets and make financially responsible decisions within approved limits.
• Maintain accurate records of vendor agreements, purchase orders, invoices, credits, product allocations, and related correspondence.
• Communicate purchasing updates, product priorities, delays, and operational concerns clearly through Slack and other approved company systems.
• Provide leadership with timely visibility into significant inventory risks, vendor concerns, sales opportunities, and purchasing recommendations.
• Establish and monitor relevant performance measures for inventory movement, product availability, purchasing accuracy, and vendor reliability.
• Protect confidential company information, including vendor terms, product costs, pricing strategies, sales data, and internal financial information.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Three or more years of relevant experience in purchasing, retail management, merchandising, sales operations, inventory management, or a related field.
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to connect purchasing and inventory decisions with customer demand and sales performance.
• Strong negotiation, problem-solving, and vendor-management skills.
• Ability to interpret sales reports, inventory data, product margins, and performance trends.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to coach employees, provide clear direction, and collaborate effectively across departments.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with close attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond appropriately to changing business needs.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced retail environment and maintaining a visible leadership presence.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, including Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Experience with Square, CrystalCommerce, or comparable point-of-sale and inventory-management systems is preferred.
• Familiarity with trading card games, collectibles, tabletop gaming, or hobby retail is strongly preferred.
• Availability to work a schedule that reflects business needs, including occasional evenings, weekends, major product releases, or special events.

Indicators of Success:

• Product availability and inventory health
• Purchasing accuracy and budget management
• Vendor reliability and relationship management
• Product-category and sales performance
• Inventory turnover and reduction of unnecessary overstock
• Timely communication and cross-department coordination
• Quality of merchandising and product-priority execution
• Employee product knowledge and adherence to operational expectations
• Ability to provide dependable leadership support during changing business needs

Benefits:

Eligible full-time employees may receive:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• 401(k)

Weekly; Monday - Friday 2 PM - 12 AM; Occasional evening, weekend, release-day, and special-event availability may be required