Associate Buyer
The Paper StoreTPS Group Holdings, a family of brands including The Paper Store and Uncharted, is all about transforming daily routines into joyful escapes that inspire and surprise. Our mission is to connect with every customer through carefully chosen products, immersive shopping experiences, and service that goes the extra mile, creating a space that sparks joy with every visit. Position Overview: As an Associate Buyer, Fashion & Accessories , you will manage an assigned portion of the business and play an active role in developing and executing category strategies that drive sales, margin, and profitability. You’ll partner with the Buyer and cross-functional teams to build compelling assortments, analyze performance, identify trends and opportunities, negotiate with vendors, and make recommendations that move the business forward. We’re looking for someone with strong retail buying experience in Fashion, Accessories, Apparel, Handbags, or related categories , ideally within a fast-paced, high-SKU retail environment . You have a strong eye for product, understand the customer and competitive landscape, and know how to use sales, margin, inventory, and trend information to make sound business decisions. What You’ll Do Drive Category & Assortment Strategy Manage an assigned subset of the Fashion & Accessories business and support overall category strategy Participate in assortment planning, pricing, promotional strategies, and product selection Identify opportunities to drive sales, margin, and category performance Conduct competitive shopping to understand emerging trends, pricing, promotions, brands, and whitespace opportunities Partner with the Buyer to evaluate current performance and influence future assortments Analyze the Business & Drive Results Analyze sales, sell-through, turn, gross margin, markdowns, and inventory on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and seasonal basis Use performance data to identify opportunities, risks, and recommended actions Monitor product performance and make recommendations on inventory, pricing, promotions, and future product Apply retail math and financial analysis to support category decisions Provide reporting and insights that help guide business strategy Manage Vendors & Product Development Build and maintain strong vendor relationships Negotiate pricing, terms, and agreements to support sales and profitability goals Partner with vendors to identify new products and develop opportunities for the assortment Attend trade shows, market appointments, and vendor meetings to identify trends and newness Partner with Design and cross-functional teams on product development, patterns, samples, and product execution Own Buying Operations & Product Flow Manage purchase orders, SKU setup, pricing, vendor changes, cancellations, and open-order maintenance Monitor product availability, shipping, backorders, and delivery status Execute allocations and replenishment and support the flow of inventory to stores Manage transfers, consolidations, recalls, and inventory-related issues Maintain accurate product, vendor, and purchase-order information in internal systems Ensure samples, product information, and seasonal materials are accurate and organized Partner Cross-Functionally Work closely with Planning, Allocation, Design, Marketing, E-Commerce, Distribution Center, and store teams Partner with E-Commerce and Marketing to ensure products are accurately represented online Support merchandise directives, seasonal launches, promotional events, and key initiatives Communicate product changes, inventory issues, and business opportunities to appropriate partners Develop a strong understanding of the customer through store visits, competitive research, and business analysis Who You Are 3-5 years of progressive retail buying experience within Fashion, Accessories, Apparel, Handbags, or related retail categories strongly preferred Experience working in a fast-paced, high-SKU retail environment Demonstrated ab…