Associate Buyer - Womens Dress Accessories and Cold Weather

$77,880 - $129,840/Yr

Macy's - New York, NY

Full-time - Entry Level

New York, NY

10,001+ employees

General Merchandise Retailers

About the position

The Associate Buyer for Women's Dress Accessories and Cold Weather at Macy's is responsible for enhancing the company's competitive position by strategically purchasing merchandise that drives sales and profitability across both physical stores and online platforms. This role involves collaborating with vendors to curate a unique assortment, analyzing sales trends, and implementing effective strategies to meet financial targets. The Associate Buyer is expected to be a trusted leader, capable of navigating complexities and making swift decisions to align with the company's evolving strategies.

Responsibilities

• Make all purchasing decisions independently of Buying Director to satisfy customer demand and achieve sales, turn, and margin plans.
• Understand the competitive marketplace and pursue white space opportunities that align with company strategy.
• Conduct competitive shopping and determine necessary actions to address competitive challenges.
• Identify product opportunities and provide suggestions in product development to vendors.
• Support Buying Director in driving in-season business by influencing promotional strategies based on current business needs.
• Attend market appointments prepared with strategic assortment plans and product understanding to support customer preferences.
• Set the vision and determine actions for assortment-building opportunities in partnership with Planning, Pricing, and Cross Functional partners.
• Collaborate with planning partners to develop and execute assortment strategy.
• Develop pre-season assortment vision that aligns with company priorities and insights from Digital and Planning Director counterparts.
• Partner with Financial Planning to ensure department-level financial targets support assortment strategy.
• Decide on in-season changes for the department and vendors based on sales, margin, and turn forecasts from Financial Planning.
• Support Financial Planning and Buying Director in building seasonal strategy components based on targets.
• Provide Buying Director with category, class, and item performance analysis to assist in determining in-season item-level changes.
• Maintain an industry presence for connections and new business opportunities.
• Communicate with vendors to ensure timely collection of markdowns and partner with Financial Planning for alignment with in-season inputs.
• Utilize data analytics to develop pricing strategies and ensure execution meets financial metrics.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience in a related field.
• 3+ years of direct experience in buying or related roles.
• Strong financial acumen to analyze and make informed strategic decisions.
• In-depth knowledge of retail strategy and market trends.
• Ability to lead teams through change management effectively.
• Visionary thinking with a commitment to innovative strategies.
• Excellent communication skills for effective collaboration and idea generation.
• Experience in strategic planning and driving compelling assortments.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the fashion retail industry.
• Familiarity with digital merchandising strategies.
• Proficiency in data analytics tools and software.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Merchandise discounts
• Performance incentives and annual merit review
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Guild education benefit funds for tuition, books, and fees
• Colleague Resource Groups (CRGs) and volunteer opportunities