Cole Van Komen: Capital Buyer in West Jordan, UT

Responsible for product selection and execution within the department for chain-wide distribution to retail stores and online e-commerce Ensure proper cost, price, turn rate and margin in each category purchased involving over 4,000 SKUs Work closely with over 150 vendors and sales representatives to establish and maintain critical relationships Travel to attend industry trade shows (SHOT, OR, Denver Merchandise Mart, Atlanta Gift Show). Consult with advertising to select advertised items and provide copy and proper images Oversee merchandising of product in retail environment Managed a team of field managers responsible for store to corporate relations Managed other buyers in their roles as category managers Organized, coordinated and presented week-long training for 75 managers on a yearly basis Consult with a demand and replenishment planner for forecasting, inventory levels and proper retail store assignment of SKUs Frequently involved with decision making committees to better manage growth and the changing business structure Responsible for forecasting merchandise and its direct relation to budget, goals and open to buy Work with suppliers as a primary source of feedback on trends within the industry