Job: Senior Buyer/ Merchandising Manager – Duty Free (Liquors, Tobacco, Food)

Title: Sr Buyer / Merchandising Manager
Reporting to: COO
Direct Reports: 2
Industry: Duty Free / Travel Retail store chain
Product Categories: Wines & Spirits, Tobacco, Confectionery
Location: Long Isalnd, NY
Compensation: DOE
Job ID: 109

Our Client

Our client for this opportunity is a Duty Free Retailer/Operator in the North East of the USA.

Objective

The Senior Buyer position will be managing the execution and merchandising of products in the assigned categories (Wines & Spirits, Tobacco, Confectionery). He/she will have to manage an effective balance between short term and long term initiatives and responds constructively to new demands, priorities and challenges. The Senior Buyer will be ensuring feedback from customers and business partners is leveraged to identify improvement opportunities and company initiatives and is responsible for supervising Buyer Assistant positions. This position is in charge of Travel Retail stores in the airports of Boston, Philadelphia and JFK.

Ideal Profile

The ideal profile is a background of 7-8 years experience in buying, with either Travel Retail or Wines / Spirits / Beer / Liquor ゠category experience (ideally both).

Job Description

• Communicate and manage the vision of the organization/department and business needs to team and provide timely updates and information to team and team leaders.
• Research business and marketplace trends, analyze competitor products and customer needs to increase the company’s share of total market.
• Draw astute conclusions from financial reports and analysis. Understand critical issues and the patterns, trends and root causes.
• Partner with all levels to form and train merchandising team as the needs of the business dictate including Associate Buyers/Assistant Buyers.
• Manage financials including open-to-buy planning and total profit and loss in all areas of responsibility, includes managing pricing, inventory control, net margin, vendor profitability and total profitability.
• Prepare and develop, plan and implement pricing strategies.
• Manage the entire cycle of a product’s trend curve by making effective tactical and strategic merchandising and marketing decisions.
• Strategically and appropriately plan and execute product assortment and manage the process of product evaluation and selection.
• Maintain strong partnerships with existing vendors and proactively source new vendors/suppliers.
• Troubleshoot irregularities with vendors and manage negotiations on key issues that include availability of new product, distribution of merchandise, timely deliveries, RTVs and vendor allowances.

Requirements

• 7+ years of retail buying experience
• Experience managing and working with multiple vendors
• Experience managing/planning minimum $25 million retail business
• Experience in logistics a plus
• Demonstrated expert level skills and knowledge required in negotiating, measuring key performance indicators and financial analysis, including Retail math
• Advanced level skills in MS Excel and Outlook
• Appreciated previous experience: Dufry, DFS, LS Travel Retail, DFASS, Folli Follie Group, The Nuance Group, The Shilla Duty Free, Starboard, Pernod Ricard, Davidoff, Camel, Marlboro, Altadis, Altria, BAT, British American Tobacco, Imperial Tobacco, Japan Tobacco International, JTI, Philip Morris International, PMI, RJ Reynolds, Bacardi, Diageo, Remy Cointreau, Remy Martin, William Grant & Sons, Godiva, PepsiCo, Coca Cola Company, Kraft Food, Ferrero, Lindt, Nestle, P&G, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, Mars
• Appreciated previous titles: Buyer, Senior Merchandiser, Senior Buyer, Purchaser, Purchasing Manager