Supports buyer(s) with reviews and recommendations for new products, vendors, and managing projects that may include, but not limited to: Promotions, events, training, purchase order (PO) management, order log, order tracking, marketing planning and support, pricing and markdown management, store layout/flow and communication.  Assistant buyers assist with and may be responsible for certain aspects related to buying a particular category or business. Assists in establishing selling prices, negotiating terms, delivery dates, special promotions and discounts for designated categories.  Manages inventory levels of assigned lines of business (LOB’s) through open-to-buy.

Maintains relationships with all vendor partners, coordinates meetings and product reviews.

Supports the Buying team(s) to ensure balanced inventories and achieve maximum sales, turnover, and gross margin levels. 

Ensures that monthly open to buy forecasts are executed for departments of responsibility and inventories are on plan. 

Analyzes reports to gather information and report on trends, problem areas, and deficiencies to improve processes, maximize sales and manage inventory levels.  Works to develop expertise in the retail merchandise system to understand proper replenishment, distribution and allocation of merchandise.

Maintains auto replenishment assortment for departments of responsibility.

 May negotiate support from vendors for cooperative advertising, freight concessions, markdown support, displays, training, vendor provided in-store support, and any other allowances as directed and are standard in the marketplace.

 Assists in the selection of merchandise and coordinates inventory for promotions.  Prepares advertising and coop forms, worksheets, secures samples and performs other related duties as needed in conjunction with corporate promotional events.  Assists in developing vendor produced inserts/flyers to tie-in with major promotional events.

 Ensures ad merchandise is allocated to all stores in proper quantities and on time.

 Ensures Marine Corps Exchange (MCX) store associates and operations are provided with complete merchandising information pertinent to assigned departments or merchandise classifications communicated through Playbooks, ConneXion, or other approved means of communications with stores.

 Assists in management review of retail operations of MCX pertaining to assigned categories.  In conjunction with the Buyer, analyzes, develops and recommends procedures to be used in resolving specific problems to ensure effective merchandising operations.

 Assists Buyer with projection of monthly permanent and POS markdowns, and ensures timely and accurate communication of price changes through systems and delivered to the stores.

Assistant Buyer is the liaison for buying team and all other MCCS departments to ensure smooth flow of operations between buyer and logistics, store operations, marketing, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), planning, IT, Retail Support Group, and others as needed.

Under the supervision and by direction of the Buyer may assume buying responsibility for assigned merchandise classifications.