Chief Merchant

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

ABOUT COUNTRY SUPPLIER 

Country Supplier is the parent brand behind CAL Ranch and Coastal, retail destinations built for ranchers, farmers, homesteaders, and anyone who lives the country lifestyle. Across our stores we deliver quality workwear, footwear, animal health and feed, tools, hardware, and outdoor living products with the kind of hometown service our customers have trusted for generations. As we grow, we're looking for a Chief Merchant who can bring bold merchandising vision and rigorous discipline to how we buy, plan, and present product across both banners. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Chief Merchant is the senior executive accountable for the merchandising strategy, assortment, and profitability of the CAL Ranch and Coastal brands. This role owns the end-to-end merchandising life cycle — planning, buying, pricing, vendor relationships, and in-store presentation — and partners closely with Marketing, Store Operations, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure Country Supplier stores are stocked with the right products, at the right price, at the right time. The Chief Merchant is a member of the executive leadership team and reports directly to the President/CEO. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Set and own the overall merchandising strategy and multi-year category plans for both the CAL Ranch and Coastal brands, ensuring assortments reflect each banner's customer base and regional needs. 
• Lead, mentor, and develop the merchandising organization, including Category Directors, Buyers, and Planning/Allocation teams. 
• Drive sales, margin, inventory turn, and gross margin return on investment (GMROI) targets across all merchandise categories. 
• Negotiate vendor agreements, pricing, terms, and promotional funding; build and maintain strategic supplier partnerships. 
• Direct open-to-buy planning and inventory management in partnership with the Planning & Allocation team to balance in-stock levels with working capital goals. 
• Oversee private label and exclusive-brand development to differentiate Country Supplier assortments from national competitors. 
• Partner with Marketing to align promotional calendars, seasonal resets, and pricing strategy with merchandising priorities. 
• Analyze market trends, competitor assortments, and customer data to identify new categories, product opportunities, and exit strategies for underperforming lines. 
• Collaborate with Store Operations and Visual Merchandising to ensure consistent, on-brand product presentation across all store locations. 
• Present merchandising performance, strategy, and category reviews to the President/CEO and Board as needed. 
• Champion the Country Supplier brand promise, ensuring product decisions reflect the trust and heritage customers associate with CAL Ranch and Coastal. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Merchandising, Retail Management, or related field; MBA preferred. 
• 10+ years of progressive merchandising or buying leadership experience, including at least 5 years in an executive or VP-level role. 
• Experience in farm/ranch, hardware, agricultural, outdoor, or specialty rural retail strongly preferred. 
• Proven track record building profitable assortments and managing multi-million-dollar merchandise budgets. 
• Strong vendor negotiation skills and experience managing national and regional supplier relationships. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and scale a merchandising organization across multiple banners or regions. 
• Data-driven decision maker, fluent in retail math, open-to-buy planning, and merchandise financial planning tools. 
• Willingness to travel regularly to stores, vendor showrooms, and trade shows. 

WHAT COUNTRY SUPPLIER OFFERS 

• Competitive executive base salary plus performance-based incentive bonus. 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits. 
• 401(k) with company match. 
• Generous employee discount across CAL Ranch and Coastal stores. 
• A leadership role shaping the future of two beloved, growing regional brands. 

Country Supplier, parent company of CAL Ranch and Coastal, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 

Requirements:

Notice of AI Use in Job Application Review

As part of our commitment in creating a fair, efficient, and consistent hiring process we may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help our recruiting teams organize, summarize, and analyze information provided by candidates, including resumes, application responses, and other materials submitted during the application process.AI may be used to identify patterns, highlight relevant skills, and experience, and assist in comparing a candidate’s qualifications with the requirement of a specific role. These tools are to improve efficiency and consistency while supporting more informed hiring decisions, which will ultimately be made by the hiring team.