Assistant Buyer, eCommerce

Our Company

We believe Running Changes Everything. If you believe that, too, we want to talk. With more than 280 stores and a robust e-commerce site, Fleet Feet is the largest running retailer in the country. Catering to more than runners, we pride ourselves on having an inclusive environment! We believe it’s a privilege to serve and to deliver unmatched service and support when outfitting every customer. We run together to solve problems, reach goals, encourage others and champion our brand.   

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Overview

The Assistant Buyer, eCommerce, supports the execution of Fleet Feet’s footwear and accessories merchandising strategy for the website. This role assists with building seasonal assortments, preparing reports and analyses, and coordinating with cross-functional partners to ensure products are set up, ordered, and positioned to meet sales, margin, and inventory goals.

 

This is a hybrid position based in Carrboro, NC, with an expectation of working in the office three days per week. Candidates must currently live within commuting distance or be willing to relocate to the area

Responsibilities

• Assist with building seasonal footwear and accessories assortment plans by vendor, subcategory, and channel in alignment with the department’s financial targets and strategic direction.
• Support the Senior Manager in preparing materials for Open-to-Buy (OTB) and budget reviews, including vendor market-share recaps and opportunities.
• Help compile and maintain seasonal assortment materials, including visual line plans, planograms, trend recaps, and seasonal buy summaries.
• Manage seasonal product attribution within the system during each buying cycle.
• Partner with brick-and-mortar teams to ensure assortments, product attributes, and launches align with in-store strategies and timelines.
• Assist with merchandising setup for digital platforms, ensuring products are accurately represented and ready for launch.
• Pull and organize seasonal category reporting, including:
  • Historical retail and eCommerce sales trends
  • Digital platform performance, including dropship and in-store app performanceCompetitor and market research
  • Price and gross profit recaps
• Support the preparation of vendor pre-line, preseason sell-in, and buy-review analysis decks for internal and external meetings.
• Assist the Senior Manager with preseason buy entry by SKU, ensuring orders align with the assortment strategy and vendor deadlines.
• Help validate the accuracy of order-book uploads into Fleet Feet systems and identify discrepancies or gaps.
• Support the development and maintenance of the product lifecycle calendar, including product introduction dates, the Minimum Advertised Price (MAP) calendar, and promotional timing.
• Support enhancements to merchandising and planning tools by testing new features, providing feedback, and assisting with documentation and training resources.
• Maintain organized records of seasonal assortments, recaps, and reports for easy access and future reference.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings with Buying, Inventory, Digital, Marketing, and Store teams to remain aligned on priorities and timelines.
• Provide day-to-day support to the Senior Manager, including preparing for meetings, documenting recap notes, and following up with internal and external partners.
• This position contributes to category- and channel-level team performance in the following areas:

• Sales compared with plan• Style productivity• Color productivity• Gross margin performance

Qualifications

• One to three years of merchandising, buying, planning, or retail experience is preferred. Internship or store experience in footwear or sporting goods is a plus.
• Strong analytical skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets and comfort working with reports and large datasets.
• High attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities and seasonal calendars.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners and vendors.
• A passion for the Fleet Feet brand, running, fitness, and active lifestyles is strongly preferred.
• Occasional travel is required

 

Key Competencies:

• Ownership and Follow-Through: Takes responsibility for assigned tasks and consistently meets deadlines.
• Collaboration: Works effectively with teammates across departments and with vendor partners.
• Curiosity and Learning: Proactively seeks to understand the business, category trends, and the reasons behind performance results.
• Customer and Operator Focus: Considers the needs of both the end consumer and store operators when supporting assortment and merchandising decisions.

Benefits

• Robust benefits package including medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, EAP, and more
• 401(k) with 4% employer match and immediate vesting (available to part- and full-time employees age 21+ at company-owned stores)
• Training and advancement opportunities across the Fleet Feet brand
• Professional development programs, including mentorship, employee resource groups, and monthly learning sessions
• Community involvement and service initiatives supporting local engagement
• Discounts on training programs and products
• Supportive, passionate teammates who live the mission every day
• For full-time employees (30+ hours/week), check out our Fleet Feet benefits summary for details on healthcare, wellness, and more.

Equal Opportunity & Reasonable Accommodations

We are an equal opportunity employer and believe having teams in which everyone brings their whole self to Fleet Feet is key to our success. We encourage people of all backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. Our dedication to inclusion is reflected in our hiring practices, workplace culture, and community engagement.

Fleet Feet utilizes E-Verify in all corporate and company-operated stores as part of the hiring process.