Job Description

Support Center - Irving

The Assistant Buyer supports the Buyer with merchandise selection, pricing, purchasing, and business analysis, ensuring the availability of products that meet customer demands while maximizing sales and profitability. The Assistant Buyer is responsible for managing the day-to-day functions of executing the merchandising strategy. This role requires analytical skills, excellent communication abilities, and a passion for staying updated with market trends.

Major Activities

Category Management & Assortment Planning:

• Under the direction of the Buyer, selects and purchases products for assortment plans that meet financial sales and profit goals for their assigned categories of merchandise.
• Creates category assortment plans, including product information, markup and margin of new SKUs, and recommendations of pricing based on market analysis.
• Recommendation of items and SKUs to discontinue based on SKU and sales analysis.
• Monitors, reviews, and recommends product shipping configurations.
• With guidance from the Buyer, negotiates optimum packaging shipping.
• Audits and validates item set-up and vendor information.
• Collaborates with cross-functional partners to execute the end-to-end process.
• Maximizes sales and profit through the execution of the merchandising strategy.
• Leverages vendor partnerships to establish and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring favorable pricing and delivery schedules.
• Provide guidance to Category Administrative Associate in category duties.

Performance Analysis:

• Utilizes data analytics tools to analyze sales, inventory, and market trends.
• Prepares regular reports and presentations to provide insights and recommendations to the buying team regarding pricing, product assortment, and promotional strategies.
• Prepare analysis for Buyers on category history and market share analysis.
• Conducts brand and market share competitive analyses, develops insights, and recommends tests.
• Conducts market research to identify emerging trends, new product opportunities, and a competitive landscape to stay ahead in the market.
• Generates reports to analyze weekly and monthly category metrics.
• Identify sales opportunities through inventory analysis.

Pricing, Presentation & Promotion:

• In partnership with Buyer, maximizes merchandise presentation, develops planograms, and works cross-functionally through the implementation process.
• In partnership with Buyer, creates planograms using merchandising strategies, financial analysis, competitive analysis, trends, and space allocations.
• Lead planogram process, both seasonal and SBA, and liaise with cross-functional teams. 
• Guides the POG process for Buyer; including ensuring accuracy and timeline is met.
• Analyze current POG results (sales, margin, turn, etc.) and provide recommendations.
• Communicate the POG process to vendors and cross-functional partners.
• Partner with Visual partners to ensure visual standards are met.
• Execute advertising, pricing, and promotion strategies for a category of merchandise.
• Lead Ad Process to oversee turn in process, proof ads, and signage. 
• Conduct Ad compliance and advise the team of any issues and solutions.
• Prepares and leads monthly paginations by analyzing sales history, last year's Ad results, and the Ad matrix.

Other duties as assigned

Minimum Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Minimum Education

• College degree or equivalent experience

Minimum Type of Experience the Job Requires

• 2+ years of merchandise experience
• Analytical and problem-solving skills. Proficiency in utilizing Excel or other data analysis tools to extract insights and make data-driven decisions.
• Collaboration skills to partner with cross-functional teams
• Flexible, resilient, and comfortable working in a constantly changing environment.
• Detailed-oriented with excellent organizational skills

Preferred Education

• Business or Merchandising degree

Applicants in the U.S. must satisfy federal, state, and local legal requirements of the job.

For 50 years, Michaels has been the best place for all things creative. We strive to inspire our customers, cultivate confident leaders, and serve our communities by fostering an inclusive environment for everyone to learn, shop, and create. At Michaels, everyone has a seat at our craft table and every Team Member is encouraged to hone their craft with opportunities for personal and professional growth. From our Stores and Distribution Centers to Artistree and our Support Center, our best-in-class team is committed to delivering on our purpose to fuel the joy of creativity. As the leading creative destination in North America, we operate over 1,290 stores in 49 states and Canada and online at Michaels.com and Michaels.ca. The Michaels Companies, Inc. also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of custom and specialty framing merchandise, and MakerPlace by Michaels, a dedicated handmade goods marketplace.

Michaels is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are here for all Team Members and all Makers to create, innovate and be better together.

Michaels is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with this commitment, Michaels will assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the job, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Customer Care at 1-800-642-4235 (1800-MICHAEL).

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