BUYER / PLANNER
Tobacco
Duty-Free Travel Retail
ABOUT THE COMPANY
We are a leading duty-free travel retailer operating 20+ locations across international airports, private airports and U.S. border crossings. Our portfolio spans Spirits, Tobacco, Fragrances, Skincare, and Accessories. We are known for delivering a best-in-class travel retail experience and maintaining a curated selection of domestic and international brands that resonate with a global traveler base.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Buyer/Planner is responsible for the end-to-end merchandise lifecycle for the Tobacco, category across all locations. This role balances strategic vendor development, open-to-buy management, and inventory planning to drive sales, margin, and in-stock performance. The ideal candidate brings deep category of knowledge in duty-free or travel retail and thrives in a fast-paced, multi-location environment.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Buying & Vendor Management
- Own the full assortment strategy for Tobacco, including brand selection, SKU rationalization, and seasonal/promotional planning.
- Negotiate pricing, terms, promotional funding (SPIF/co-op/A&P), and supply agreements with domestic and international vendors.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers including major tobacco manufacturers e.g., Altria, , Philip Morris International).
- Identify and onboard new brands and suppliers aligned with traveler demographics and margin targets.
- Evaluate supplier performance against KPIs including fill rate, lead time, pricing accuracy, and promotional compliance.
Planning & Inventory Management
- Develop and manage monthly and seasonal purchase plans based on annual forecasts, sales trends, and inventory positions across 20+ locations.
- Maintain open-to-buy (OTB) for assigned categories; adjust buys in response to sell-through performance, traffic trends, and promotional events.
- Collaborate with the logistics and warehouse team to ensure timely inbound flow and appropriate safety stock levels.
- Monitor and manage slow-moving and excess inventory; execute markdowns, transfers, and vendor returns as needed.
- Assist Merchandising to update planograms for all store locations across assigned categories based on sales velocity, trend data, and brand requirements.
Analytics & Reporting
- Analyze weekly and monthly sales, margin, and inventory reports; present findings and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Track category performance against budget; identify variances and develop corrective action plans.
- Conduct competitive market analysis across duty-free channels and benchmark pricing, assortment, and promotional activity.
- Partner with the finance team on annual budget development and quarterly re-forecasts.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with store operations and merchandising to execute resets, new brand launches, and promotional activations.
- Partner with marketing on in-store promotions, brand takeovers, and traveler engagement programs.
- Create & Monitor sell-through reports that tie inventory with vendor sales
- Support compliance and regulatory requirements related to tobacco and alcohol products across jurisdictions.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- 3–6 years of buying, planning, or category management experience in retail, travel retail, or duty-free.
- Demonstrated experience managing Tobacco and/or Spirits categories, including vendor negotiations and assortment planning.
- Proficiency with retail planning tools, OTB management, and inventory management systems.
- Strong analytical skills; comfort working with large data sets in Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, demand modeling). Use of AI is a plus
- Proven track record of driving category sales and margin improvement.
- Excellent vendor relationship and negotiation skills.
Preferred
- Experience in duty-free, travel retail, or airport retail specifically.
- Familiarity with premium tobacco and regulations across U.S. jurisdictions,
- Experience building or updating planograms using merchandising software.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Supply Chain, or a related field.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus given traveler demographics.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base Salary
Starting at $70,000
Bonus
Annual performance bonus
Health Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Retirement
401(k)
Time Off
Paid time off and company holidays
Travel
Required for vendor meetings, trade shows (TFWA, IAADFS), and store visits
This is a high-visibility role within a growing travel retail organization. The successful candidate will have direct influence over a multi-million dollar category portfolio and will work collaboratively with leadership, operations, and marketing to shape the in-store experience for millions of international travelers annually.
Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
Pay: From $70,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Life insurance
Application Question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have managing the Tobacco category as a Buyer, Planner, or Category Manager?
- Have you managed an annual inventory or purchasing budget greater than $5 million?
- Which of the following planning responsibilities have you managed?
Select all that apply.
- Open-to-Buy (OTB)
- Demand forecasting
- Inventory replenishment
- Purchase planning
- Sell-through analysis
- All the above
- None of the above
- Have you managed an Open-to-Buy (OTB) budget?
- Applicants must respond to all questions to be considered for the position
Work Location: In person
