Merchandise Buyer (Knoxville, TN)
Yee-Haw Brewing Company is seeking a detail-oriented, self-motivated Merchandise Buyer with a passion for retail and design and a strong interest in promoting and developing the Yee-Haw brand. The Merchandise Buyer will play an integral role in developing and strengthening our portfolio of apparel, headwear, and accessories / gifts for seven (7) Yee-Haw taproom locations.
The Merchandise Buyer will report to the CEO and be the primary point of contact with merchandise vendors to develop new designs, select garments, place orders and manage inventory. They will work closely with our General Managers to manage displays, markdowns and inventory rotation as well as manage our online store including fulfilling orders, developing item listings, and building digital awareness of our offerings.
Founded in 2015, Yee-Haw Brewing Company began brewing craft beer in a historic railroad depot built in the late 1800’s in Johnson City, Tennessee. Yee-Haw Brewing Company quickly grew from a startup to one of the Southeast’s fastest growing craft breweries. Known for our variety of good beers, our reputation for high quality ales and lagers is built on our commitment to using only the finest ingredients. Our taprooms provide a welcoming gathering place in our communities. We take pride in providing great beer, a great atmosphere, good times, good jobs, and good partnerships at each location.
Overall Responsibilities: The purpose of Retail Buyer job duties is to ensure that a retail store has merchandise that customers will be eager to purchase. As a part of their daily work, they usually have the following responsibilities:
- Staying abreast of trends through industry reports, social media, & trade shows
- Seeking out new suppliers and building relationships with current and new suppliers
- Reviewing and evaluating the current offerings available from suppliers and working with them to develop new and compelling branded designs
- Determining which goods to purchase and in what quantities
- Negotiating purchase terms with suppliers
- Analyzing inventory data to identify strong and weak sellers
- Generating reports and forecasts
Portfolio Development
- Act as a primary point of contact with vendors for design development that meets everyday and seasonal needs.
- Establish and build strong professional working relationships with vendor partners.
- Build high-performing profitable portfolio focusing on apparel, headwear, and accessories / gifts
- Negotiate the best cost with vendors and establish retail price points.
- Secure necessary approvals internally and with sponsorship partners
- Work with each location to develop impactful merchandising floor plan / displays to drive sales
Order & Inventory Management
- Responsible for submitting purchase orders for all Yee-Haw locations and corporate warehouse
- Lead monthly inventory, working with key contact at Yee-Haw locations. Improve process to increase accuracy / reduce variances
- Identify inventory re-balancing opportunities and facilitate transfers as needed
- Pro-actively analyze retail sales data and inventory levels to identify items for markdown or reorders
- Oversee corporate warehouse
- Develop vendor guidelines
- Work with CEO to effectively manage inventory levels, turns, and cash flow
Online Store & Marketing
- Understand and utilize Shopify, ouronline retail platform
- Manage online store listings to offer current items as well as leverage as an outlet to move excess inventory
- Ensure all merchandise has up-to-date photo assets for consumer listings / inventory system and social media
- Fulfill online orders
- Oversee store email and respond to customer inquiries
- Develop social media assets to highlight new merchandise and drive sales at taprooms and online
Reporting & Analysis:
- Understand and utilize Yellow Dog, our inventory management system
- Review and analyze sales trends by location monthly and develop action plans to drive improvements. Provide recaps to management.
- Review retail P&L monthly to closely manage and optimize profitability
- Operate within corporate and budget guidelines.
Our Ideal Candidate
- Bachelor’s degree in retail management, business, or related field preferred.
- 3-5 years of retail buying experience
- Outstanding communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent time management, project management, analytical & problem-solving skills.
- Knowledge of retail landscape and emerging trends.
- Proficient computer skills including Excel and inventory management systems.
- Must have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record.
- Great attitude and willingness to learn and contribute
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Ability to regularly sit or stand for extended periods of time.
- Ability to use hands, bend, stoop and kneel.
- Ability to frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
- Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust.
- Ability to safely and comfortably drive in cities and on highways.
- The noise level in the work environment is moderate.
Job Descriptions are intended to present an illustrative description of the range of duties, the scope of responsibility and the required level of knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to describe the primary functions of the job; they are not intended to reflect all duties.
Job Type: Full-time
Physical setting: Knoxville Office + occasional site visits
Schedule: Monday to Friday; 30 hours per week expected minimum
Pay: $21.00 - $27.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- What makes you the best candidate for this position?
Experience:
- merchandise buying: 3 years (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
