ASSISTANT MERCHANT JOB DESCRIPTION

Seasonal assortment decisions made without clean data, missed vendor deadlines, and inaccurate SKU records compound quickly in retail; a single floorset launch can unravel when the foundational execution falls short. The Assistant Merchant owns that foundation: maintaining the assortment line lists, SKU setup, sample tracking, and in-season reporting that Merchant leadership depends on to react to selling trends and margin performance. Working within a cross-functional model that spans Planning, Allocation, Visual, and Digital Commerce, this role sits at the entry point of the merchandising organization.

As the Assistant Merchant, you are accountable for the tactical accuracy and operational continuity of a product category, from pre-season SKU creation and vendor coordination through in-season selling reports and assortment updates that directly inform buy decisions. You will work across Planning, Allocation, and Visual Merchandising teams, supporting senior Merchants in executing a seasonal strategy measured by sales volume, gross margin, and inventory flow.

Career Impact: Experience across both analytical and product-facing merchandising functions, weekly business reporting alongside seasonal assortment curation, builds the dual fluency that advances candidates to Merchant and Associate Merchant roles within specialty retail.

Business Impact: The accuracy of your assortment documentation, pricing uploads, and sample management directly determines whether floorsets launch on schedule and whether Merchant leadership has reliable data to react to in-season sales and margin trends.

Growth Opportunity: Exposure to vendor negotiations, competitive intelligence gathering, and financial review meetings at this stage creates a measurable path toward owning a category independently as a Merchant within two to four years.

• Build and maintain accurate seasonal assortment line lists, SKU setup records, and promotional pricing uploads to support daily buying decisions.
• Own the photo sample ordering and tracking process with vendors and the photo team across multiple seasonal cycles.
• Prepare weekly selling reports and ad hoc business analysis for presentation in cross-functional meetings.
• Partner with Planning and Allocation teams to monitor inventory flow, flag delayed purchase orders, and surface in-season opportunities or risks.
• Liaise between the Merchandising team and vendor partners on custom orders, replacement part requests, expense purchase orders, and sample approvals.
• Review and QA catalog and digital product pages for accurate product information, pricing, and imagery ahead of launches.
• Support seasonal hindsight processes by compiling competitive intelligence, color rankings, and consumer insights gathered through store visits and trend research.
• Coordinate floorset updates and assortment exception documentation in partnership with Visual Merchandising and Merchandise Operations.

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• 1 or more years of retail merchandising or buying experience, with demonstrated involvement in assortment planning or SKU management.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to maintain data accuracy across multiple concurrent projects and seasonal calendars.
• Proven analytical skills, including the ability to interpret selling reports, historical trend data, and category performance metrics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to coordinate clearly across Planning, Visual, and Digital Commerce teams.
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, including the ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-changing seasonal environment.
• Working knowledge of retail math fundamentals, including margin, sell-through, and basic inventory concepts.

• Experience working with both domestic and offshore vendors, including familiarity with vendor setup processes and expense purchase order submissions.
• Exposure to e-commerce merchandising workflows, including digital product page maintenance and promotional pricing management.
• Understanding of competitive retail landscape dynamics, including pricing strategy benchmarking and consumer trend identification.
• Fluency in a second language relevant to the retail market served (e.g., French for Canadian retail operations).

• Assortment documentation accuracy rate, reflecting data integrity across SKU lists, pricing uploads, and product information files.
• Weekly selling report delivery timeliness, measuring reliability of business reporting cadence for Merchant decision-making.
• Purchase order and sample tracking completion rate, indicating the percentage of seasonal samples and POs resolved without escalation.
• Gross margin and sell-through contribution within supported categories, tied to accuracy of in-season assortment updates and reorder inputs.
• Floorset launch on-time rate, reflecting execution quality across assortment documentation and cross-functional coordination.
• Typical tools: spreadsheet and data management (commonly Excel with pivot tables and vlookups); retail ERP or merchandising systems (commonly NetSuite, SAP, or equivalent PLM platform).

• Base Salary Range: $45,000 – $60,000 annually, depending on experience and market
• Bonus: Discretionary annual bonus, typically 5–10% of base salary
• Equity: Not standard at this level in retail merchandising
• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer contribution varies by company size
• PTO: 10–15 days annually, plus company holidays; varies by employer
• Common Perks: Employee merchandise discount, potential store travel exposure, professional development support

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Background check completion is required as a condition of employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process upon request. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Assistant Merchant owns brand assortment management and category growth for a major Canadian retailer, conducting weekly and monthly sales analysis while overseeing planogram execution, vendor negotiations, and 360-degree launch strategies. Collaborating with the Planning team and field teams, this role delivers the operational and analytical support that drives SKU performance, category sales, and brand activation across a multi-branded portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct detailed weekly and monthly sales analysis on current business trends and brand and product performance.
• Manage brand assortments, including productivity and timeliness of updates for the brand portfolio.
• Assist in the creation and execution of brand and product strategies.
• Handle vendor negotiations for testers, damages, Return to Vendor, and samples.
• Support efforts to source and identify new business opportunities to optimise category growth.
• Review and approve all in-store brand visual elements and manage the planogram for all multi-branded spaces.
• Provide visual merchandising recommendations to brands to drive higher sales and productivity.
• Support the creation of robust 360-degree launch strategies for key brands and products to secure exclusive leads and drive category sales growth.
• Manage SKU creation and maintenance, Invoice Review Queue, and the markdown chargeback process.
• Partner with the Planning team to manage inventory and sales forecasting.
• Collect and organise competitive samples from vendors for gratis and social requests.
• Provide support to field teams with category-related issues.
• Maintain department records and assist with general administration, brand meeting agendas, market prep, reporting and analysis, sample procurement and management, and the creation and maintenance of brand activation calendars.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or college diploma in retail management or a related field.
• Two to three years of experience as a buyer, merchandiser, or planner for a major retailer.
• Knowledge of the Canadian marketplace and corresponding vendor organisation.
• Knowledge of the Canadian cosmetic industry and corresponding Health Canada regulations and product compliance requirements.
• Proficiency with merchant systems and the MS Office suite.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to use data to find solutions.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Creative thinker willing to take calculated risks and source new business opportunities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional groups.
• Fluency in both French and English, written and spoken, is an asset.

Embedded within the merchandising organization, the Assistant Merchant maintains accurate assortment line lists, manages promotional pricing uploads through Excel and NetSuite, and leads cross-functional teams through assortment updates. Working closely with the copywriting and photo teams, this role delivers the precise product data and catalog quality assurance that sustains website accuracy and on-time seasonal execution.

Core Functions

• Build and maintain accurate merchandise assortment line lists and visual assortment line lists in Excel.
• Lead cross-functional teams through assortment updates, including additions, drops, and changes, through clear communication and accurate assortment reference tools.
• Own photo sample process and cycle management with vendors and the photo team.
• Manage all promotional pricing uploads and removals through Excel and NetSuite.
• Manage all new SKU setup through Excel and NetSuite.
• Manage product information with the copywriting team and ensure accuracy of existing product information and pricing online.
• Conduct quality assurance on all catalog proofs for accurate product information and pricing.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with cross-functional teams.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the calendar to meet critical deadlines.
• Influence others to achieve results through leadership presence.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
• Experience as an Assistant Merchant, Assistant Buyer, or Merchandise Coordinator, or in an equivalent retail merchandising role.
• Proficient in Excel, including formatting, VLOOKUPs, and basic pivot tables.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong organisational, planning, and prioritisation skills.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships.
• Eagerness to learn and develop business acumen.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with frequent changes.

Reporting to the Merchant, the Assistant Merchant supports assigned category management by delivering timely and accurate data across assortment plans, sample tracking, and cost and retail changes while contributing to seasonal strategy and product idea generation. Partnering with merchant leadership and cross-functional teams across the brand, this role builds the analytical and operational foundation that enables sound daily business decisions.

Primary Duties

• Support the department and category in strategy and presentation by developing an understanding of the connection between financial strategies and related merchandise objectives.
• Adhere to all corporate calendar meetings and events.
• Collaborate with the merchant team on cohesive seasonal looks and assortments.
• Gather market intelligence with a focus on business opportunities and present findings to merchant leadership.
• Write copy stories to clearly communicate product details that articulate benefits.
• Deliver timely and accurate data across all applicable systems and tools, including assortment plans, sample tracking, change forms, and cost and retail changes.
• Take initiative and ownership for items or small segments of the business, including managing the growth and development of assigned products and categories under supervision.
• Analyse past-season product trends and historical data at the category level using pivot tables and weekly business reports.
• Assist in evaluating the assortment, reacting to in-season performance and trends, and reporting findings during weekly business meetings.
• Aid in document preparation for key meetings.

Skills & Qualifications

• One to two years of assistant merchant experience.
• Proficient in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet Explorer.
• Ability to manage processes and projects.
• Strong problem-solving capabilities.
• Detail-oriented and organised with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to function in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and work collaboratively as part of a team.
• Curious and open to learning.

Sitting at the intersection of merchandising strategy and vendor operations, the Assistant Merchant builds seasonal assortment plans, leads price change execution in partnership with Planning and Merchandise Operations, and acts as a liaison between the Merchandising team and vendors across custom orders, replacement parts, and expense purchase orders. Operating across seasonal launches, financial review meetings, and floorset updates, this role shapes the end-to-end product lifecycle from pre-season development through in-season performance management.

Duties

• Help build seasonal assortment plans during pre-season development and manage updates throughout the season.
• Own SKU item setup and maintenance in partnership with Merchandise Operations.
• Act as liaison between the Merchandising team and vendors while overseeing vendor setup, custom orders, replacement part requests, and submission of expense purchase orders.
• Gain an understanding of forecasting and participate in financial review meetings.
• Provide a weekly recap on sales and margin performance and participate in weekly business meetings.
• Gain a thorough understanding of competitor pricing strategies.
• Manage and execute all price changes in partnership with Planning and Merchandise Operations.
• Execute floorset updates in partnership with the Merchandise Leader, Visual Merchandising, and Allocation teams.
• Participate in seasonal launches, including product naming, product information, dimensions, web and catalog proofing, packaging, signage, and other collateral.
• Offer input on product assortment strategy and participate in weekly product development meetings.
• Stay informed on customer trends and current sales performance.
• Manage returns and customer service feedback.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline.
• One year of experience in an Assistant Merchant role or relevant work experience.
• Plus two to three years of additional work experience.
• Some experience working with domestic and offshore suppliers.
• Proficiency with MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including influencing and negotiation skills.
• High degree of flexibility and initiative.

A key member of the merchandising team, the Assistant Merchant leads order entry, product attributing, and sample organization while coordinating the final assortment across Digital Commerce, Site Operations, and International teams. Collaborating across Planning, Product Development, Marketing, and Visual functions, this role delivers the cross-functional alignment and ad-hoc analytical support that keeps merchandise flow on track and responsive to business needs.

Functions

• Partner with the Merchant on developing a competitive, customer-focused merchandise assortment.
• Partner with the Production and Allocation team to manage delivery flow and address issues as they arise.
• Create strong partnerships across cross-functional areas, including Planning, Product Development, Marketing, Allocation, and Visual.
• Manage all order entry and product attributing based on the approved buy plan.
• Manage the organisation and tracking of samples by season, classification, and delivery.
• Ensure ongoing coordination with Digital Commerce, Merchandising, Site Operations, and International teams on the final assortment and any updates.
• Read and react to business needs with a sense of urgency.
• Perform ad-hoc reporting to aid in merchandising analysis as needed.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• One year of experience in a relevant role.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Basic knowledge of retail math.
• Strong interpersonal skills with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task and complete projects on time.

Competitive intelligence, client intimacy, and seasonal strategy depend on the Assistant Merchant, who gathers customer feedback through store travel, tracks social and market trends, and translates competitive patterning into actionable product recommendations for merchant leaders. Based within a fashion merchandising organization, this role builds cross-functional partnerships and executes the assortment documentation that connects customer insight directly to financial outcomes across multiple seasons and floorsets.

Accountabilities

• Drive and execute client intimacy activities, sharing insights with merchant leaders and making business recommendations.
• Gather competitive intelligence on current competition and trends to provide product strategy recommendations.
• Assist in the seasonal hindsight process through ownership of colour ranking and client insights.
• Travel to stores to gather customer feedback on tests, market distortions, and new product launches.
• Stay current on trends, social media, and pop culture as they relate to the target customer.
• Track and experience customer attitude and lifestyle to understand the target customer and participate in selecting appealing products.
• Engage in competitive patterning to understand current market trends and influence product strategy.
• Support delivery of financial objectives by leveraging client insights when building seasonal strategies.
• Drive accuracy of product detail through excellent execution and management of assortment documentation and communication.
• Support marketing and visual strategy through consistency and accuracy in line lists, brand guides, sign requests, product information, and assortment details.
• Own the accuracy of physical samples for a book of business across multiple seasons.
• Assist in key meeting preparation, including sample availability, deck preparation, and ad-hoc requests and analysis.
• Manage product edits and inputs for multiple floorsets and seasons by prioritising tasks and balancing competing priorities.
• Identify opportunities in regional and store performance, analyse detailed size and market trends, and make recommendations to impact a book of business.
• Cultivate and maintain strong cross-functional partnerships through clear and accurate communication.
• Communicate regularly with field teams to understand business results and report findings back to the business.
• Actively participate in weekly cross-functional meetings and calls.
• Share customer insights and business recommendations in cross-functional forums.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Fashion Merchandising, Business Administration, or a relevant field.
• One to two years of experience in retail buying or a relevant role.
• Understanding of current and upcoming trends relevant to the target customer.
• Exceptional communication, prioritisation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Highly curious with the ability to influence leadership through client and competitive patterning and make tangible business recommendations.
• Ability to be a team player and foster a commitment to teamwork.
• Systems-savvy with an entrepreneurial mindset.

As the Assistant Merchant, this role supports tactical execution of the strategic category business plan by maintaining article listings, coordinating supplier partnerships, and managing promotional pricing in alignment with business strategies. The merchandising organization relies on this work to achieve category and corporate goals across multi-million-dollar business categories, with the Assistant Merchant serving as the key point of contact between the Merchant and internal and external business partners.

Activities

• Work closely with the Merchant and the cross-functional business team to implement the business unit plan and attain category and corporate goals.
• Foster an effective team environment of knowledge sharing and collaboration.
• Develop and maintain effective relationships, acting as the key point of contact between the Merchant and internal and external business partners to resolve store and vendor issues.
• Support departmental financial targets, including sales, gross margin, and inventory, across multiple multi-million-dollar business categories.
• Maintain and execute retail pricing in alignment with business strategies and the clearance process.
• Coordinate special order programs, including data validation, book creation, ongoing maintenance, and communication between stakeholders.
• Perform administrative support for senior merchants, including scheduling meetings, coordinating reports, and responding to correspondence.
• Coordinate Supplier Partnership Meeting scheduling and financial contracts.
• Manage article submissions and forms to Advertising and Off-Shelf, including downstream approvals of data and imagery accuracy.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and help facilitate solutions with cross-functional teams.
• Partner with the cross-functional team on best-in-class execution and risk identification on core and special programs.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities

• Must meet minimum time-in-position requirements and performance management code requirements.
• Understanding of the consolidated reset process and the implications of seasonal cycles.
• Knowledge of article site assortments based on region, store, and planogram size.
• Knowledge of competitor practices, brands, and marketplace dynamics, including the role of new suppliers and products.
• Understanding of merchandising impacts on store metrics, including labour, safety, sales, gross margin, inventory, and customer experience.
• Proficient in Excel, SAP, Word, PowerPoint, and store management tools at an intermediate level.
• Ability to extract, verify, and report data using BI and DSS reporting tools.
• Working knowledge of processes and procedures across Marketing, Finance, Forecasting, Replenishment, Advertising, Operations, Visual, and Merchandise Planning.
• Ability to facilitate multiple projects simultaneously across cross-functional teams.

Assistant Merchant leads sample management, fit meeting documentation, and bi-weekly ecommerce product launches for a specialty menswear brand, bringing equal analytical and product sensibility to weekly business reporting and seasonal SKU planning. Success in the position means maintaining a meticulous product lifecycle database, supporting head merchants and the design team with data-driven assortment decisions, and serving as the communications bridge between merchandising and cross-functional partners including Marketing, Planning, and Wholesale.

Operational Focus

• Receive, check in, and inspect samples to ensure all garment details are correct, and maintain organised sample storage, archiving, and sharing.
• Attend technical fit meetings and take accurate and detailed fit and trim change notes.
• Prepare timely and accurate Monday business reports, including standard reporting and ad-hoc analysis for management.
• Identify areas of opportunity and concern within the business.
• Partner with head merchants and the design team to assort seasonal product lines, including pre-development SKU planning using current business trends and analysis of the market and competitors.
• Manage the product lifecycle database.
• Partner with the Ecommerce merchandising team for bi-weekly product launches and live site management.
• Liaise between the merchandising team and cross-functional teams, including Design, Marketing, Planning, and Wholesale, to accurately communicate relevant information.
• Support ad-hoc reporting and projects for management.

Professional Experience

• High school diploma required.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Strong understanding of and passion for the specialty menswear market.
• Strong data analysis and Excel skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Positive attitude with the ability to foster collaborative cross-functional relationships.
• Action-oriented with a strong work ethic.

The Assistant Merchant owns buy file accuracy and shipping tracking across all purchase orders, maintaining meticulous records from new style entry through monthly receipt reconciliation while surfacing delays and process improvements to the buying team. Collaborating with the merchandising team on weekly selling reports and ad-hoc analysis, this role delivers the operational discipline and data integrity that keeps seasonal inventory flow on schedule and supports sound buying decisions.

Key Deliverables

• Maintain meticulous buy records and own all buy files to ensure accuracy.
• Enter new styles and outfits into the buysheet and style master and update all style, cost, and quantity changes promptly.
• Create and maintain detailed item and kit line sheets.
• Manage all areas of shipping tracking from estimated time of arrival to receipt in the system, surfacing any delayed purchase orders or shipping issues to the buying team.
• Perform monthly receipt reconciliation and proactively flag delays with proposed solutions.
• Create selling reports, including weekly selling summary slides, and pull, format, and distribute the weekly selling report.
• Support ad-hoc analysis and suggest process improvements aligned with business priorities.
• Review and approve purchase orders.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Two or more years of experience in merchandising or buying with proven leadership competencies.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel skills such as pivot tables.
• Proficiency in pulling reports and performing data entry across multiple systems.
• Detail-oriented with a high level of accuracy in data entry and thoughtful formatting.
• Strong understanding of milestones and due dates.
• Ability to troubleshoot systems, highlight concerns, and suggest process improvements.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to partner effectively with the merchandising team and pivot as needed.
• Self-starter with an optimistic outlook and the ability to work with limited direction.