Associate Buyer

3 weeks ago

Nutley, United States Ralph Lauren Full time
Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview

* Support the Buying and Planning team to establish the optimal assortment for the Polo Factory stores.
* Bottom-line financial accountability for product area (shared with Buyer and Planner).
* Accountable for product selection and product performance.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Partner with the Buyer to formulate and profitably execute the development, selection, procurement and promotion of merchandise
• Develop seasonal product assortment strategies that align with planning targets of sales, SKU counts, productivity and product trends
• Review product assortments with Buyer to insure the integration of brands and balance of price points
• Plan sales and receipts for seasonal assortments that align with seasonal plans, historical opportunities and new initiatives
• Partner with planning to continually manage the business through in-season analysis and tactical adjustments
• Support in-season assortment management, allocations, stock transfers, markdowns, returns, etc.
• Regularly communicate with visual presentation regarding inventory levels and assortment changes based on business trends
• Participate in fiscal planning by recommending areas of strategic focus for the product area: identify growth, maintain and down trending businesses and brands
• Facilitate ongoing communication with planning and distribution teams
• Shop the competition regularly for trends and product opportunities
• Support Assistant Buyer through training and coaching

Experience, Skills & Knowledge
Required Skills/Qualities:
• Customer, marketplace and product expert
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong analytical skills and retail math comprehension
• Effective cross-functional communication and presentation skills
• Decision making capability clearly driven by conceptualizing future opportunities and developing strategic product and business initiatives
• Creative, assertive and solution-oriented when faced with difficult business performance and/or challenging directives from the Buyer and Planner
• Prioritize and direct multiple activities
• Highly organized and detail-oriented Stretch Skills/Qualities:
• Multi-category and multi-channel experience
• Work independently of the Buyer
• Effective leadership and team building skills, including the ability to motivate, negotiate and influence effectively across departments and divisions
• Consistently make confident and independent recommendations and accept accountability for achieving business goals
• Establish, nurture and utilize internal and external partners to drive the business
• Develop a culture and an environment that fosters respect for the ideas of others and supports ongoing collaboration to execute business strategy

  • Associate Buyer

    3 weeks ago

    Nutley, New Jersey, United States Ralph Lauren Full time

    Company DescriptionRalph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of...