The Merchandise Purchasing Assistant plays a vital role in supporting the Buying team with merchandise procurement and inventory management. In this dynamic retail environment, you will have the opportunity to contribute to product selection, order processing, vendor relationships, and sales data analysis. Your input will help shape product assortments that align with business objectives and customer demand, making this an excellent stepping stone for a career in merchandising and buying. Join us in fostering a positive work culture, facilitating employee involvement, and driving change management efforts within our organization. DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: Assist in placing purchase orders with accurate details including pricing, quantities, and delivery schedules. Monitor orders to ensure timely delivery and resolve discrepancies with vendors effectively. Maintain strong communication with vendors regarding order statuses, product availability, and shipment updates. Address any issues related to product quality, delivery, or pricing promptly. Support the Buyer in merchandise selection by researching trends, analyzing sales data, and understanding customer preferences. Help prepare product presentations for team discussions. Analyze sales reports and inventory levels to pinpoint top-performing products and areas needing improvement. Provide insights on stock replenishment and recommend markdowns or promotions to enhance inventory performance. Collaborate with the merchandising team on visual presentation and product placement, ensuring alignment with promotional strategies and proper categorization. Work with vendors to manage samples, product descriptions, and images, ensuring all information is accurate in the system. Stay informed on industry trends, competitor activities, and emerging market opportunities through market research. Assist the Buyer in establishing competitive pricing strategies, evaluating margins, and planning promotional activities, ensuring proper visibility of promotional products. Prepare regular reports on sales performance, stock levels, and vendor performance for team presentations, contributing to decision-making on product strategies. Manage and organize product samples for review, track sample orders and returns, ensuring the team has updated assortments. Provide administrative support, including scheduling meetings, organizing vendor appointments, and maintaining accurate records of all communications. Perform other related duties as assigned. REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES: Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data and make informed, data-driven decisions. Proficiency in Excel for report creation and analysis is essential. Strong attention to detail when managing purchase orders, pricing, and vendor communications, with the capability to balance multiple tasks effectively. Excellent verbal and written communication skills to build and maintain vendor relationships and collaborate with internal teams. Strong problem-solving abilities to address order discrepancies, vendor issues, and inventory challenges efficiently. Highly organized with effective time-management skills, able to handle multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced retail setting. Good understanding of customer preferences and market dynamics, aligning product selections with organizational goals. Able to work cohesively as part of a team, supporting the Buyer and merchandising team to achieve collective objectives. Proficiency with retail management systems, merchandising software, and Microsoft Office Suite is necessary, especially Excel and PowerPoint. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: A Bachelor's degree in Merchandising, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field is required. 1-3 years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or purchasing roles, preferably in a retail organization. Experience with sales data analysis, purchase order management, and vendor relations would be advantageous. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This role involves extended periods of sitting and frequent hand use for handling objects, as well as clear communication abilities. Occasional lifting/moving of items up to 25 pounds may be required. Specific vision requirements include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception. The employee must thrive in a fast-paced environment. GENERAL INFORMATION: The information provided above is intended to convey a general understanding of the role and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities associated with this role. We are an equal opportunity employer, and discrimination or harassment of any kind is strictly prohibited.