Buyer - Children's Specialty Retail

Company Description

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Children's Specialty Retailer (Confidential) is a fast-growing, multi-location retailer offering a carefully curated mix of children's products and trend-driven consumer goods. We focus on discovering exciting merchandise and creating memorable in-store experiences. Our environment is hands-on, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and fast-paced.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Buyer to manage product selection, purchasing, assortment planning, and inventory across multiple retail locations.

The ideal candidate combines strong product instincts with analytical ability. You should enjoy discovering new products while also being comfortable using sales, inventory, margin, and product-performance data to make disciplined purchasing decisions.

This is a hands-on position in a growing, entrepreneurial business with a startup-style environment. We do not operate like a large corporate retailer with layers of teams, rigid procedures, and clearly defined handoffs. Priorities can change, new opportunities arise quickly, and everyone is expected to pitch in.

The right person will be comfortable taking ownership, solving problems, improving processes, and moving between planning and day-to-day execution. You will help determine what we buy, how much we buy, and how inventory flows across the business.

What You'll Do

• Select products and develop assortments across multiple retail locations.
• Review sales, inventory, margin, and product-performance data to guide purchasing decisions.
• Manage purchasing budgets and the open-to-buy process.
• Identify emerging products and stay current on consumer, seasonal, and market trends.
• Build strong vendor relationships and communicate regularly about products, pricing, orders, and delivery timing.
• Negotiate pricing, purchasing terms, and vendor programs.
• Create and manage purchase orders, reorders, and delivery schedules.
• Forecast demand and maintain inventory levels that reduce stockouts and excess merchandise.
• Track performance by category, item, vendor, and location.
• Recognize underperforming products and adjust purchasing decisions when needed.
• Work directly with store teams to gather feedback and better understand customer demand.
• Help improve the company's buying, planning, and inventory-management processes.
• Step in to resolve day-to-day product and inventory issues when needed.

What We're Looking For

• At least three years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, inventory planning, or a closely related role.
• Hands-on experience selecting products, managing inventory, or making purchasing decisions.
• Experience working with an open-to-buy or managing purchasing budgets.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with sales, inventory, margin, and product-performance data.
• Confidence using spreadsheets to organize information, identify trends, and make recommendations.
• Strong product instincts and an ability to recognize emerging consumer trends.
• Experience communicating with vendors and managing purchase orders, reorders, or delivery schedules.
• Excellent organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to manage multiple products, vendors, and deadlines.
• Comfortable taking ownership and working independently in an environment where processes are still being developed.
• Willing and able to work in person and travel between company locations as required.

Helpful, but Not Required

• Experience with children's merchandise, specialty retail, or trend-driven consumer goods.
• Experience supporting products across multiple stores or an online business.
• Experience negotiating pricing or purchasing terms.
• Experience working in a growing small business where team members take on different responsibilities.
• A genuine interest in discovering products and understanding what customers want.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to have a visible impact on a growing retail business. You will influence the merchandise customers discover and contribute directly to sales, margins, inventory performance, and the customer experience.

You will work closely with company leadership and store teams while having meaningful responsibility for product selection, purchasing, vendor relationships, and inventory strategy.

Compensation and Location

The anticipated salary range is $75,000–$95,000 per year , based on experience and qualifications.

This is a full-time, in-person position based in Nassau County, Long Island , with regular travel between company locations in the surrounding suburbs. This position is not based in New York City. xhyhwjd Additional location details will be shared with qualified candidates during the interview process.