Associate Buyer - Footwear

Fashion & Apparel

A creative, strategic, and results-oriented e-commerce merchandising professional who excels at problem solving, elevating customer experience, building and maintaining relationships, and managing projects in cross-functional environments. 

• Being in charge of multi-million dollar vendor portfolio of over 30 brands, forecasting trends, negotiating with vendors, and meeting demand and margin goals.
• Creating, pivoting, and managing a calendar of events, with 2-4 multiple events going live online daily to provide the best assortment and offerings
to customers.
• Navigating through inventory losses and delays caused by covid-related supply chain issues and finding innovative ways to secure key inventory,
including negotiating and launching exclusive special makeup products with key vendors.
• Working closely with vendor representatives and operations contacts to secure key inventory and ensuring timely delivery of purchase orders.
• Collaborating cross functionally with Marketing and Creative teams on email marketing and influencer programs to highlight products in charge.
• Working with other divisions' merchandising teams and participating in their events, introducing footwear to different sets of customers and creating
new opportunities for additional sales.
• Resolving product quality control issues, ranging from updating product copy and images to sending defective products back to vendors.
• Analyzing item, category and event sales to evaluate vendor performance and brand strategies.
• Helping to train new assistant buyers.

• Supported Buyer by curating a compelling product selection that stands out from competition and excites customers.
• Negotiated buying terms with vendors, including price, quantity, delivery and payment terms.
• Collaborated with Buyer on product evaluation and selection.
• Established and maintained relationships with vendors before, during, and post events.
• Helped Creative Team complete photo shoots on time by delivering creative assets from the vendor, including images, press kits, reel assets, and product samples.
• Audited the website to improve accuracy and increase sales.
• Onboarded and managed new vendor business.
• Participated in new content curation tool development project as merchandising team’s representative, advocating for merchandising team’s interests ?and inputs during development and serving as subject matter expert post launch. 


Assistant Buyer - Footwear

Assistant Buyer - Textile

• Worked as Merchandising Team’s main point of contact to optimize overstock and obsolete product liquidation process and provided ongoing support to Accounting, Fulfillment Center, Buying and Planning teams.?
• Investigated and resolved all company-wide domestic warehouse inventory issues, including product data inquiries and inventory inconsistencies, and provided Buyers with product troubleshooting resolutions.
• Created online product and brand management standards for new brands and divisions caused by mergers, authoring Standard Operating Procedures on how to handle brand changes.
• Developed and maintained strong partnerships with cross-functional team members, e.g. Merchandising, Drop Ship, Fulfillment Center, Customer Service, Marketing, Database and E-commerce Application teams.
• Supported buying team by executing price changes, Return to Vendor and resolving purchase order exceptions, in addition to duties as Site Coordinator (see below). ?


Senior Merchandise Data Analyst

• Managed vendor relationships with over 100 men’s, women’s, children’s brands and private labels, and led up launching up to 3,000 products per season, and coordinating with buyers. ?
•	Took full ownership of the production life cycle from creation to publication. ?
•	Oversaw product content, including UPC acquisition, management of samples, product images, brand images and product details. ?
•	Resolved product and brand issues, including coordinating with Customer Service and cross-functional departments. ?
•	Assigned merchandising categories and performed product quality assurance before setting products live online.
• Worked closely with Buyers to onboard and launch 20 new brand, including Cole Haan, Sam Edelman, Bearpaw and Stride Rite.


Site Coordinator

• Automated and standardized image processing procedures to speed up production.
• Executed merchandise prioritization out of up to 2,000 new products each week and managed photo studio workflow.
• Developed and maintained strong partnerships with all cross-functional team members, including Merchandising, Marketing, IT, Web Development and Operations teams.
• Reviewed vendor-supplied images and enforced image requirements and guidelines.
• Developed standard operating procedures on image quality control, image processing, and vendor compliance guides. ?


Digital Asset Specialist

• Redefined and maintained brand design strategies to improve the company's corporate image.
• Consulted with internal clients to create ongoing marketing efforts, leveraged for sales increase and customer retention.
• Designed and maintained a library of product brochures and case study flyers.
• Managed production of internal communications, online and print marketing campaigns
• Negotiated with external vendors to reduce marketing expenses by eliminating redundancies.
• Executed search engine optimization and ongoing website updates.

Graphic Designer

Find out detailed information about Julianne Rah, Associate Buyer - Footwear in Seattle, WA

Julianne Rah: Associate Buyer - Footwear in Seattle, WA

Julianne Rah

Maryland Institute College of Art