Company Overview
Kittery Trading Post is a family-owned and family-run retailer dedicated to outdoor heritage, craftsmanship, and authentic connections. We serve a community of outdoor enthusiasts who value quality, adventure, and tradition. Our team members embody these values daily, fostering welcoming experiences built on knowledge, trust, and pride in our shared passion.
Job Summary
The Men's Buyer is responsible for developing and executing the merchandising strategy for Men's Apparel, Accessories, and Lifestyle categories at Kittery Trading Post. This position creates compelling assortments that blend premium outdoor performance, rugged workwear, casual lifestyle, and technical apparel to meet the evolving needs of today's outdoor customer.
The Buyer partners with industry-leading brands to deliver an assortment that reflects Kittery Trading Post's outdoor heritage while embracing emerging trends, innovation, and changing consumer preferences. Success in this role requires strong merchant instincts, analytical decision-making, exceptional vendor partnerships, and a passion for delivering an outstanding customer experience.
Key Responsibilities
Merchandising Strategy
- Develop and execute merchandising strategies that support company sales, margin, inventory, and customer experience goals.
- Build balanced assortments across performance outdoor apparel, workwear, casual lifestyle apparel, outerwear, accessories, and seasonal collections.
- Continuously evaluate product mix to maximize productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
- Identify emerging trends, consumer preferences, and marketplace opportunities that strengthen Kittery Trading Post's competitive position.
- Curate assortments that reflect the authenticity and outdoor heritage of the KTP brand.
Vendor Partnerships
- Develop strategic relationships with premium outdoor and apparel brands.
- Negotiate pricing, dating, freight programs, cooperative advertising, exclusive products, markdown support, and promotional funding.
- Collaborate with vendors on seasonal planning, product launches, training opportunities, and marketing initiatives.
- Identify opportunities for exclusive buys, limited editions, and special purchases that differentiate Kittery Trading Post.
Financial Management
- Manage category sales, gross margin, inventory turns, GMROI, and open-to-buy plans.
- Analyze sales performance, inventory productivity, customer demand, and seasonal trends to make informed buying decisions.
- Forecast inventory needs while minimizing markdown exposure.
- Develop seasonal assortment plans aligned with financial objectives.
Product Lifecycle Management
- Build seasonal assortments from concept through delivery.
- Monitor product performance and make timely decisions regarding replenishment, markdowns, or discontinuation.
- Evaluate assortment gaps and identify opportunities for new brands and categories.
- Attend trade shows, market appointments, vendor meetings, and industry events to remain current on trends and innovations.
Store Partnership
- Work closely with Store Leadership to ensure exceptional product presentation.
- Partner with store teams to understand customer feedback and local market opportunities.
- Coordinate vendor training and product knowledge sessions that improve selling effectiveness.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of buying, merchandising, or category management experience, preferably within specialty retail, outdoor, sporting goods, premium apparel, or lifestyle brands.
- Strong knowledge of men's apparel, outdoor clothing, and accessories.
- Demonstrated success managing financial performance including sales, margins, inventory productivity, and open-to-buy.
- Proven negotiation skills and experience building long-term vendor partnerships.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales trends and customer insights.
- Excellent planning, organizational, and project management skills.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.
- Passion for outdoor recreation and specialty retail.
Preferred Experience
- Experience with premium outdoor and lifestyle brands.
- Knowledge of technical apparel, layering systems, outerwear, and performance fabrics.
- Experience supporting merchandising.
- Familiarity with retail planning systems, inventory management, and merchandise analytics.
- Experience attending major industry markets and trade shows.
Core Competencies
- Merchant mindset
- Customer-first decision making
- Trend forecasting
- Strategic negotiation
- Financial acumen
- Product storytelling
- Relationship building
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Innovation
- Continuous improvement
Pay: $61,673.59 - $74,273.57 per year
Work Location: In person
