Wellness Buyer at MOSCOW FOOD CO-OP in Moscow, Idaho

Job Description:

The Moscow Food Co-op is seeking a Wellness Buyer who will be responsible purchasing, merchandising, maintaining inventory, pricing, monitoring margins, and achieving sales goals. As a member of the Wellness Department, Buyers contribute to overall department maintenance and deliver excellent customer service related to mercantile, body care, and supplements. Relevant retail experience is required. The successful candidate will be a self-directed, organized team player with impeccable attention to detail, able to prioritize tasks and perform well under pressure.

Previous experience working in a fast-paced retail environment required, including experience in purchasing and merchandising responsibilities. Familiarity with natural products including body care items, herbs, vitamins, and other supplements is preferred. A successful candidate will be a self-directed, organized team player with impeccable attention to detail, able to prioritize tasks and perform well under pressure.

We encourage you to consider a job at the Moscow Food Co-op. We are a community-oriented workplace, offering a positive work environment, living wages, and great benefits. In a recent employee opinion survey, Moscow Food Co-op employees overwhelmingly rate the Co-op as a good place to work and say that they are proud to work for the Co-op.

All employees receive a 20% store discount, earn Paid Time Off (PTO, and participate in the Co-ops 401k plan.

Benefits for our full time employees include: Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance; Short-term Disability; Accidental and Hospital Insurance; Telemedicine and Telemed Mental Health.

Benefits for our part time employees that work more than 20 hours per week include: Dental Insurance; Short-term Disability; Accidental and Hospital Insurance; Telemedicine and Telemed Mental Health.

Job Description

The Wellness Buyer assists the Center Store Manager with purchasing high quality products based on the Co-op’s needs, values, and standards, as well as properly maintains the department category selection. This position will be responsible for delivering world class customer service to customers by providing high quality products and service while meeting goals are sales, margin, and labor.  This position works closely with the Wellness Team to support achievement of the Moscow Food Co-op’s strategic goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Buying

• Evaluating products and surveying market trends to select a variety of goods that satisfy co-op customers and meet department goals.


• Placing purchase orders and negotiating favorable terms with local, regional and national suppliers.


• Receiving product.


• Ensuring accurate prices for wellness products in POS system and on shelf or product tags.


• Engaging with co-op customers; committing to providing prompt, helpful customer service for the entire Wellness department.

Purchasing and Category Management

• Place orders to ensure minimize Out-of-Stocks, ensure adequate supply for specials, and avoid unnecessary back-stock.


• Work with Center Store Manager to maintain an appropriate product mix that maximizes inventory turns.
  
  • Cull slow-moving items and suggest new product introductions as needed.
  
  
  • Evaluate vendors and investigate new sources of supply.


• Work with scan coordinator, buyers, and Center Store Manager to execute store pricing strategy, ensuring the accuracy of pricing information displayed at retail.


• Calculate prices to meet margin and price image goals and conduct price comparison shops as directed.

Merchandising

• Plan and maintain attractive, fully stocked and rotated sections.


• Make suggestions for merchandising improvements and regularly participate in resets.


• Ensure shelf tags and item pricing are in place and accurate.


• Participate in planning promotions, new item introductions, and cross-merchandising efforts.


• Provide product information to customers, staff and newsletter.  Stay abreast of developments in natural products industry through reading trade publications and talking with brokers.


• Attend trade shows, conferences and workshops as assigned.

Department Operations

• Keep shelves looking clean, full, fresh, and abundant. Ensure shelves are properly faced and fronted.


• Ensure sub department goods are well-organized. This includes maintaining an accurate inventory count in POS system as well as proper location of products.


• Participate in inventory counts, including scheduling and performing cycle counts and enter invoices to inventory in a timely manner.


• Ensure that unsellable items are returned or otherwise properly disposed of, following established procedures.  Keep accurate shrinkage records.


• Obtain credit from small vendors where not handled by Receiver.


• Ensure that department areas (aisles, shelves, bins, and storage areas) are in clean, orderly condition, meeting health department standards.


• Maintain department equipment, aisles and storage areas in a clean, orderly, and working. condition meeting health department standards.


• Assist with freight and stocking and cashiering.


• Assist with department training and give direction to the Wellness Specialist and Stockers.


• Complete all other duties as assigned by the Center Store Manager.

Co-op Performance Standards

Customer Service

• Demonstrate excellent customer skills, both internally and externally; Follow the 10-4 service rule


• Make yourself available to customers; greet each customer promptly with a smile.


• Handle customer complaints and questions courteously.     


• Coordinate with all supervisors and leads to address customer concerns, questions or thoughts. i.e., refunds, oops coupons, angry customers, broken machinery etc.


• Help customers place special orders. 


• Accurately and completely record special orders and ensure the forms are delivered for processing.

Communication

• Communicate directly and professionally, following the Moscow Food Co-op Coworker Conduct Commitment.


• Stay up to date on information in department log books and other communication.


• Answer and route phone calls according to Moscow Food Co-op procedures.


• Keep a working phone and personal email address for necessary communication from the Co-op.


• Report customer suggestions, comments, and complaints to Mod and Department Manager.

Other Duties

• Work cooperatively with others in the department and throughout store


• Maintain excellent attendance and punctuality; arrive 5 minutes early for scheduled shifts.


• Take breaks according to department and store policy.


• Requests time-off according to department and store policy, arranges subs for scheduled shifts and subs when needed.


• Follows the direction of the Manager on Duty (MOD).


• Maintain accurate use of the time system, substitute for other staff as needed


• Ensure a safe working environment for all staff and customers.


• Assist with training new staff when appropriate


• Carry out established opening and closing procedures.


• Complete Co-op-wide trainings as required.


• Attend all inventories, dept. meetings, and all-staff meetings.


• Participate in department and store-wide initiatives such as Open Book Management and others as they occur.


• Offer suggestions and information about products.

Required

• Commitment to the mission and goals of the Moscow Food Co-op.


• At least one year experience working in a fast-paced retail environment; experience in purchasing and merchandising responsibilities.


• Familiarity with natural products including body care items, herbs, vitamins, supplements, etc, as well as merchandise that includes high quality cookware, Fair Trade products, environmentally friendly housewares, etc.


• Experience with reading financial statements, margin and pricing strategy.


• Demonstrated ability to give high levels of customer service.


• Motivated, energetic, outgoing, self-directed, positive, adaptable team player.


• Reliable, dependable, organized and able to handle multiple demands.


• Excellent communication and problem solving skills.


• Basic math and computer skills.


• Regular, predictable attendance; Flexible schedule; willing to work some evenings and weekends.


• Willingness and ability to meet the changing requirements of the job.

Physical Requirements

• Remain in a stationary standing or sitting position for long periods of time.


• Must be able to move about the store and surrounding co-op properties.


• Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds; Push/pull hand cart, racks up to 200 pounds.


• Frequent kneeling, stooping, squatting, bending, reaching (overhead/front/side/back).


• Ability to tolerate varying temperatures.


• Ability to stand for long periods and to work in close quarters with other people.


• Visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; viewing a computer terminal; frequent reading of financial reports, spreadsheets, contracts, invoices, and other detailed documents.

The job duties, responsibilities, skills, and the requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business, competitive considerations or the work environment change.

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