Product Category Buyer

Posted by Conte's Bike Shop on 01/21/2022

Job Basics

Industry Sector: Bike

Job Categories: Merchandising

Company Type: Retailer

State: MD, VA, DC

City: Washington DC or Virginia Beach

Country: United States

Required Experience: 0 - 1 year

Contact Name: Christine Sodaro

Job Type: Full Time

Salary:

Required to Relocate: No

Required to Travel: Yes

Employee May Telecommute: Yes

Job Seeker Must Live Within: 50+ miles

Job Description & Requirements

Please note that the "remote" classification of this role requires a candidate to live within 1 hour of the DC Metro area.
Generally. 

Identifies, selects and purchases service and parts products which are intended to match the Company’s requirements. Responsible for filling the Company’s retail stores with such products. Draws upon market analysis. The position is a direct report to the Company’s Purchasing Manager.

Job Description.

· Responsibility for planning, selecting and purchasing quantities within service and parts product categories, to be sold in the Company’s retail stores, as well as maintaining store inventories and forecasting customer and service department demands

· Source new and review existing items within the assigned product categories to ensure these products remain competitive, fresh, contemporary

· For the applicable product categories, liaising with existing suppliers and negotiating terms to obtain the best pricing and schedule deliveries to the Company stores

· Sourcing and building relations with new suppliers

· Sourcing and selecting new products

· Communicating with store managers and service teams about upcoming product launches, price adjustments and education

· Monitoring market changes, competitor prices and products

· Analyzing past sales patterns to anticipate trends in consumer buying patterns and service department needs

· Collaborating with store managers on customer feedback for market specific needs

· Recommending clearance sales and varying delivery schedules to help control stock levels

· Presenting new product selections and alternatives

· Working with the Company’s social media personnel to present sales promotions

Work Conditions.

Travel: The position is primarily office or remote office based, although some travel to stores is required.

Working hours: While the travel involved may mean working some evenings and weekends, the position is otherwise projected to be regular hours over Monday to Friday.

Location: The position is officed in and at the Company’s headquarters in Virginia Beach, VA or remotely within 1 hour of the DC Metro area.

Skills and Qualities.

· Bicycle retail and or industry service parts buying experience is desired but not required

· A proven track record of analytics-based decision making and performance

· Computer and technology savvy

· Experience with Lightspeed POS is a bonus

· Spreadsheet proficiency desired (pivot tables, v-lookups, index-match, nested formulas, etc.)

· An understanding of what motivates customers to buy products

· Confidence combined with negotiating, influencing and networking skills

· Creativity and attention to detail

· Ability to prioritize and multitask, a self-starter

· Excellent written and oral communication skills

· Cycling and or outdoor industry enthusiast with an understanding customer purchasing needs and products

· Teamworking and leadership skills

Conte’s® is an equal opportunity employer. Hiring, promotion, transfer, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, national origin, veteran status or any other protected status. Because of our support of equal employment opportunity, discrimination on account of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, national origin, veteran status or any other protected status is not tolerated

About Conte's Bike Shop

Charles R. Conte, Sr. opened the first of the Conte’s family-owned bicycle stores in Newport News, Virginia in 1957. Conte, the son of Italian immigrants, was a hard-working machinist at a nearby shipyard when he opened his small, neighborhood bicycle and repair shop. He ran the shop based on his love of bicycles and his vision of providing personal service, and top-quality products that he could personally guarantee. Conte’s became famous for providing customers with a one-of-a-kind buying experience that made its customers not only repeat customers but customers for life.

By 2002, the corporate headquarters was moved to Virginia Beach. Thereafter, David Conte acquired all of the ownership interests in the company. In 2014, David Conte and Wayne Souza joined forces to launch the Conte Bicycle Group.