Buyer

Position Summary

The Buyer is responsible for managing the daily category strategy including assortment choices, vendor collaborations, pricing strategies, and overall category performance. This role collaborates with Planning & Allocation teams to achieve key business objectives related to sales, gross margin, inventory efficiency, product productivity, and inventory turnover.

Core Responsibilities

• Own all performance metrics for assigned categories such as sales, gross margin dollars and rate, inventory and SKU productivity, sell-through, turns, and markdowns.
• Collaborate closely with Planning & Allocation on purchasing volume, replenishment, inventory risks, and exit strategies.
• Consistently analyze business results to translate data into actionable plans.
• Detect potential risks and opportunities early and elevate recommendations appropriately.
• Create customer-focused assortments within category space constraints, ensuring balance between choice, inventory depth, presentation, and productivity.
• Develop deep understanding of product features, quality, durability, use-cases, competition, and overall value.
• Eliminate redundant or low-performing SKUs to optimize the assortment.
• Utilize sales and gross margin per square foot, inventory turns, and other metrics to optimize SKU count and space allocation.
• Test and pilot new products, brands, classifications, and opportunities tailored to specific store needs.
• Manage vendor relationships, overseeing line reviews and day-to-day engagements.
• Work with Vendor Strategy & Partnerships and DMM on strategic vendor initiatives.
• Negotiate with vendors for improved product value, availability, marketing support, and storytelling materials.
• Evaluate vendor performance and recommend strategies for growth, maintenance, reduction, or discontinuation.
• Recommend pricing, promotions, and markdown strategies in alignment with customer value, competitive landscape, margins, and inventory.
• Partner with Planning on markdown timing and inventory clearance plans.
• Coordinate with Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Stores, and Ecommerce teams to ensure optimal assortment placement, storytelling, campaign alignment, and online presence.
• Regularly visit stores to gather insights and improve category management decisions.

Decision-Making Authority

• Final responsibility for product selection and category assortment direction.
• Managing vendor strategies and SKU rationalization.
• Setting pricing and promotional plans.
• Determining buy depth and space productivity within assigned zones.
• Deciding markdown schedules and product exits.
• Leading product storytelling and test-and-learn initiatives in the category.

Success Metrics

• Improvements in sales and gross margin dollars and rates.
• Enhancements in inventory and SKU productivity, turnover, and sell-through.
• Efficient markdown management.
• Better space utilization measured by sales and gross margin per square foot.
• Maintaining availability of priority products.
• Improving customer shopping experience and store navigability.
• Accelerating testing, learning, and scaling of new initiatives.
• Enhancing vendor relations and responsiveness.

Required Qualifications

• At least 4 years experience in merchandising, buying, category management, or retail roles with progressive responsibilities; managing a sizable category or SKU portfolio is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in merchandising, business, finance, or related discipline is preferred; equivalent work experience will be considered.
• Strong curiosity and expertise in assessing product quality, value, use cases, and competitive positioning.
• Proficiency in retail math concepts such as gross margin, sell-through, inventory turns, markdowns, open-to-buy, and space productivity.
• Experience managing vendor negotiations, relationship building, and business solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work with Planning to achieve sales and inventory goals efficiently.
• Excellent communication, follow-through, and ability to collaborate cross-functionally.
• Background in sporting goods, outdoor gear, footwear, apparel, fitness, or active lifestyle categories is advantageous.

Leadership Expectations

• Prioritize customer value in decision-making.
• Have deep product and customer knowledge.
• Take full ownership of business outcomes.
• Operate with speed and agility.
• Adopt a test, learn, and adapt approach.
• Make clear, confident decisions and challenge old assumptions.
• Employ data effectively while being pragmatic.
• Spend time in stores to understand market realities.
• Build robust cross-functional partnerships and translate strategies into actionable plans.

Compensation

The base annual salary range for this position is between 120000 and 140000 USD. The offered salary will depend on the role’s complexity, the candidate’s experience, and expertise.

Equal Opportunity

Big 5 Sporting Goods is an Equal Opportunity Employer fostering a diverse, inclusive environment where decisions are free from discrimination.

Location

El Segundo, CA - Onsite