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POSITION SUMMARY
Buyer Apprentice Merchandising is at the center of a broad, cross-functional team that pulls together professionals from inventory management, marketing, customer experience and finance. Their goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations and increase profitability and shareholder value while competing in a dynamic retail environment. As a BAP Intern, you will be accountable for projects that have a meaningful impact to your business unit while working closely with an experienced Buyer for 10 weeks. In addition to learning the Assistant Buyer role, your project will also allow you to understand the buying lifecycle. You will assist your team with developing product assortments that impact the in-store and/or on-line channels. You will also be exposed to vendor negotiations, advertising and promotional planning, inventory turnover, executing sales and gross margin through financial analysis, and identifying creative solutions to impact the bottom line. The internship provides structured opportunities for formal classroom training, self paced learning and field trips to enhance your experience.
Upon successful completion of the internship, students may receive an offer to join the Merchandising organization as a participant of the Buyer Apprentice Program. Program Internship
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| Jennifer Nestleroad |
LOCATION
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
QUALIFICATIONS >>
- Junior status (in final summer before graduation)
- Bachelor's Degree - Merchandising, Finance, Retail Management degrees and strong desire to purse a Merchant career path preferred
- Strong academic performance; Involvement in extracurricular activities
- Demonstrated leadership abilities and dedication to customer service
- Strong analytical, problem solving, and business finance (retail math) skills
- Highly organized with an impeccable skill to follow-through and follow-up
- Highly effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment; can balance multiple priorities
- High focus on details to drive execution
- Highly creative, thinks out of the box with a an innovative mind-set
- Strong PC skills, Windows-based programs, particularly Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
RESPONSIBILITIES >>
- Works in tandem with the Buying team to create the presentation for business line reviews and provides explanation of strategy and entry/exit plans.
- Generates and analyzes reports on item performance versus last year and competitors to provide recommendations to the buyer for forecast estimates, markdown strategies and in store execution.
- Assists with the advertising process for weekly circulars; set-up, obtains samples, ad proofing, subsidy collection, and post analysis recap.
- Actively maintains awareness of products, customer preferences and competitors to enhance the customer experience and to influence decisions made during the assortment planning process.
- Documents category level activities around the buying life cycle to demonstrate competence in each area of responsibility, including monitoring promotional performance and providing recommendations to the Buyer based on sales trend analysis.
- Responsible for ad hoc projects that support merchandising strategic initiatives.
- Provide analysis and feedback on current business and/or process improvements to various levels of management including: SVP& the senior leadership team of Merchandising.
CAREER PATH >>
BAP Intern > Buyer Apprentice (BAP) > Assistant Buyer > Associate Buyer > Buyer
PAST PROJECT WORK COMPLETED >>
- Trace the life of a top selling or underperforming item in an assigned business, develop and present an action plan to improve business results.
- Shop the competition and present your key findings about the customer, the competition, SHC competitive advantage and recommendations to drive the business.
* Please review our staffing process to learn how to be considered for any of our college programs.
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