Assistant Buyer - Accessories

Role Summary

Urban Outfitters is looking for an Assistant Buyer to support the Buying team by planning product purchases, studying fashion trends, managing samples, and reporting accurately. This role helps curate a customer-oriented product mix to achieve business goals and act as a liaison for internal teams and vendors. Additionally, they determine quantities, price points, and product mix to ensure inventory meets customer demand and sales goals.

Role Responsibilities

Product Assortment: Support the Buyer in determining the mix of market and private label products using data-backed insights. Assist in utilizing customer feedback and market trends to drive growth and profitability. Help tailor assortments based on regional and demographic differences.

Fashion and Trend Awareness: Stay updated on fashion trends and styles, contributing to product selection with a strong sense of style and good taste. Monitor fashion shows, industry publications, and social media to identify emerging trends and understand cultural and societal shifts influencing fashion.

Sample Management: Manage department samples, including obtaining samples from vendors, organizing them by classification and season, and ensuring their safe return. Maintain a tidy sample area and photo logs of samples. Oversee the weekly handover of new products for merchandising and photography teams.

Data Management & Reporting: Update and maintain assortment sheets to provide real-time information to buying and planning teams. Use Island Pacific software to maintain order accuracy and perform basic analyses, such as style analysis, item performance, and key item flows. 

Collaboration: Build trust and professional relationships by communicating effectively with peers, team members, vendors, and cross-functional teams. Attend and participate in cross functional meetings. Partner with the Buying Operations Coordinator to ensure orders are received on time and within budget.

Other Duties: Perform other duties as assigned.

Role Qualifications

Education: Fashion or merchandising degree or equivalent experience desired.

Experience: 1 years of experience in a clerical or retail role is preferred

Demographic Knowledge: Demonstrate understanding of the target customer and the ability to select the appropriate product/trend that will appeal to the customer and meet their expectations.

Analytical Understanding: Comfort with use of statistical components of the business (IMU%, MD%, GM%, selloff, WOS, etc.) and the OTB.

Communication: Positive, professional, and timely communication with teams, supporting departments, vendors, and suppliers.

Time Management: Proactively plans and controls time to efficiently deliver team priorities and meet deadlines.

Detail Orientation: Focus on and manage the small details of a task or project to consistently produce high-quality work.

Ownership: Take responsibility for the outcomes of your work and the decisions that lead to those outcomes. Hold yourself accountable.

Inclusivity: Commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

Key Attributes: Models behaviors that align with URBN’s values:

Unite in communicating and collaborating with integrity.

Respect our planet, our world, and each other.

Build lifestyle brands through creative entrepreneurship.

Nurture meaningful connections with customers and employees.

The Perks

URBN offers comprehensive Perks & Benefits to employees. Availability and eligibility to specific benefits may be subject to your location and employment status. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, PTO, generous employee discounts, retirement savings and much more! For additional information visit www.urbn.com/work-with-us/benefits

EEO Statement

URBN celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex (including gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression), religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established by law. We believe strongly in fostering a safe, fair and respectful work environment. To ensure compliance with our non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, we offer anti-harassment training to managers and employees.