Associate Buyer

Job Description About the Job: Books-A-Million, America’s hometown bookstore since 1917, is headquartered in Birmingham, AL, and is home to a family of brands including Books-A-Million, 2nd & Charles, Joe Muggs, and Yogurt Mountain. We’re seeking an experienced and motivated Associate Buyer to join our Merchandising team supporting our Gift business. This hybrid role is based at our Birmingham, AL corporate office and is ideal for a professional with 2–5 years of buying, planning, or merchandising experience who is ready to own categories. You’ll take ownership of assigned categories, vendor relationships, and results, while working alongside an experienced buying team. • Position: Associate Buyer • Department: Merchandising • Location: Birmingham, AL (Hybrid) Role Summary The Associate Buyer owns the buying for assigned Gift categories, from assortment planning and vendor negotiation to SKU lifecycle, open-to-buy, and markdown management. Working closely with their assigned Buyer or Senior Buyer, as well as outside vendors, the distribution center, stores, and internal marketing teams, the Associate Buyer drives sales, margin, and inventory results for their categories. Assigned categories may change as the Gift business evolves. This role thrives in a fast-paced, detail-oriented, and collaborative environment and is ideal for a self starting, flexible, organized, and results-oriented team member who is eager to take on more. Role Responsibilities Management of Assigned Categories • Execute and achieve assigned category sales, gross margin, and inventory goals. • Develop merchandise assortments and strategies that support company and departmental goals while ensuring customer needs and satisfaction are met. • Manage all aspects of the merchandise offering, including selection, mix, brand, pricing, promotion, negotiation, and disposition. • Create, manage, and track purchase orders, including order entry. • Complete item creation and SKU management, maintaining data accuracy and integrity. • Manage the full life cycle of SKUs, from item creation through markdown and exit. • Deliver accurate sales forecasts and projections by evaluating financial information and tracking current trends. Anticipate market changes and build a buying plan to reach sales and margin goals. • Manage open-to-buy to stay on plan and support buying decisions. • Plan and execute markdowns to protect margin and keep inventory fresh. • Create planograms and in-store presentations that drive sales and fixture productivity. • Conduct competitive and product category analyses to identify new licenses, brands, and proprietary opportunities that expand selection across categories. • Prepare for and present product and merchandise analysis at assortment and business review meetings. • Plan promotional events and execution, ensuring accuracy on details such as pricing and marketing signage. Vendor Management • Learn the vendor base and take ownership of vendor relationships for assigned categories. • Develop and maintain collaborative vendor relationships to ensure merchandise availability, including exclusives, and timely delivery. • Lead vendor and marketing negotiations, including costs, terms, and promotional support, and resolve problems quickly. • Manage vendor performance to maximize profitability and achieve financial objectives, including cooperative marketing, incentive, and partnership plans. Division & Cross-Functional Projects • Collaborate with the Merchandising group, Marketing and Graphic Design team, and vendors on proprietary product sourcing, development, and presentation. • Provide guidance and support to the Merchandise Planning group on merchandise flow, key items, and store groupings. • Work with the Merchandising Operations group to deliver merchandising strategy and directives in stores. • Guide Omnichannel on key themes and initiatives in assigned categories to maximize online sales. • Visit stores to evaluate merchandise mix, observe co…

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