Associate Buyer Housewares and Textiles

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Own a defined product category or subcategory, including assortment strategy, vendor matrix, and financial performance.
• Develop and execute seasonal and annual assortment plans aligned to customer needs, brand positioning, and business goals.
• Champion the guest perspective in all assortment decisions, ensuring products deliver on value, storytelling, and in-store experience.

What You'll Do

• Make the moment
• Category Ownership & Strategy
• Identify product opportunities through trend analysis, competitive shopping, and sales insights.
• Lead product ideation and development, translating trends and customer insights into compelling, differentiated assortments.
• Curate assortments across newness, core replenishment, and SKU rationalization to maximize productivity and growth.
• Build assortments optimized for both store and digital channels, incorporating customer behavior and purchase patterns.
• Co-own OTB, receipt flow, and inventory investment decisions with Planning to deliver on sales, margin, and turn targets.
• Apply retail math and analytical insights to balance growth, profitability, and inventory productivity.
• Maintain category performance and proactively adjust strategy based on business trends.
• In-Season Business Management
• Drive rapid, data-informed decisions on reorders, markdowns, consolidations, and product exits to optimize financial outcomes.
• Manage end-of-life strategies, including markdown optimization and SKU rationalization.
• Continuously evaluate top vs. bottom performing SKUs and take decisive action to improve productivity.
• Vendor Strategy & Management
• Own vendor relationships for assigned categories, including sourcing, negotiations, cost management, and performance reviews.
• Build and evolve the vendor matrix to ensure the right mix of strategic partners and productivity drivers.
• Partner with vendors on innovation, product development, and cost optimization opportunities.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
• Collaborate closely with Planning, Allocation, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, and Store Operations to bring assortments to market effectively.
• Present category strategies, performance insights, and recommendations to leadership.
• Influence cross-functional decisions through strong communication and business insight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in retail buying, merchandising, or related functions.
• Experience owning or significantly influencing a product category or assortment.
• Experience with assortment planning and forecasting tools.
• Experience in multi-channel retail (store + e-commerce).
• Experience working directly with vendors on product development or sourcing.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales, inventory, and financial data.
• Solid understanding of retail math, margins, and inventory management principles.
• Demonstrated ability to own or influence a category, assortment decisions, or key business outcomes.
• Strong product judgment with a balance of trend awareness, customer insight, and commercial instincts.
• Demonstrated ability to make decisions by combining data, intuition, and brand perspective.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and retail/merchandising systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-accountability environment.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Benefits

• Good Work Deserves Good Pay: Competitive Annual Salary | Annual Bonus Opportunities.
• Support That Goes Beyond the Clock: Medical, Rx, Dental and Vision Benefits on Day 1 | Life Insurance and Disability Coverage | Paid Vacation/Employee Assistance Program.
• Grow and Thrive Your Way: Business Resource Groups | Tuition Reimbursement | Professional Development.
• Culture of Belonging: Support that starts on day one | Onboarding, training, and development to help you thrive | Recognition programs and employee events that bring us together.
• Invest in Your Future: 401k Plan with Company Matching Contributions at 90 days | Employee Stock Purchase Program.
• More Perks, Just Because: 35% Discount on Cracker Barrel Food and Retail items | Exclusive Biscuit Perks like discounts on home, travel, cell phones, and more!