Buyer 1 - Riding Warehouse - San Luis Obispo, CA

Description

• Employment Type: Full-Time   
• Hiring Range: $24-$30 per hour, depending on experience  
• Schedule: Monday–Friday  
• Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week) 
• Location: San Luis Obispo, CA; On-site (No remote or hybrid option) 

About Us 

We're more than an e-commerce retailer - we're a destination for athletes, adventurers, and sports enthusiasts. Sports Warehouse offers a carefully curated selection of gear and equipment across tennis, pickleball, padel, running, bass fishing, equestrian sports, ice and roller hockey, inline skating, roller derby, and skateboarding. Our goal is simple: help every customer find the right products with expert guidance, exceptional service, and a shopping experience that keeps them coming back. 

At Sports Warehouse, we're always looking for motivated, dependable people who are passionate about delivering exceptional experiences for our customers and for one another. Whether your strengths are in customer service, warehouse operations, technology, marketing, merchandising, or another area of the business, you'll be part of a collaborative team that values integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement. 

We believe great people make great teams. If you're eager to make an impact and help connect athletes and outdoor enthusiasts with the products they love, we'd love to hear from you. 

The Sports Warehouse Family of Brands 

Tennis Warehouse  

Pickleball Warehouse  

Padel Warehouse  

Running Warehouse  

Tackle Warehouse  

Ice Warehouse 

Inline Warehouse 

Derby Warehouse 

Riding Warehouse  

Skate Warehouse  

TYPTI Warehouse 

Benefits & Perks 

Health & Wellness 

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance* 
• Life insurance* 

Time Off 

• Paid vacation* 
• Paid sick time  

Financial Benefits 

• 401(k) retirement plan  
• Profit-sharing program  

Workplace Perks 

• Employee discounts across all Sports Warehouse brands  
• Complimentary access to our on-site fitness facility  
• Career growth and development opportunities  
• Employee appreciation events and team celebrations 

*Available to eligible full-time employees. 

Riding Warehouse is seeking a knowledgeable and strategic Buyer to develop and manage a best-in-class assortment of equestrian products that meet the needs of riders across all disciplines. This role analyzes sales trends, identifies new product opportunities, and partners closely with vendors to build compelling product assortments while maintaining strong inventory performance. You'll collaborate with marketing, merchandising, web content, and operations teams to support product launches, promotional initiatives, and seasonal campaigns. 

The Buyer is responsible for negotiating with vendors, managing product lifecycles, monitoring market trends and competitive activity, and ensuring an exceptional customer experience through a relevant and innovative product selection. We're looking for a detail-oriented professional with excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills, a passion for the equestrian industry, and the ability to make data-driven decisions in a fast-paced retail environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Vendor Responsibilities  

• Execute price changes including MAP updates for Riding Warehouse 
• Execute promotional price changes; communicate with the Marketing Department to ensure initiatives are effectively advertised. 
• Using existing MAP policies to determine when to match competitor pricing. 
• Monitor competitor websites for pricing and product issues and determine whether to match or to report to vendor. 
• Negotiate for better terms and discounts where applicable.
   

Inventory Responsibilities  

• Achieve and maintain inventory levels with average turn ratios between 4 and 8. 
• Forecast for and respond to seasonal demands. 
• Maintain appropriate average margin per category and vendor.  
• Create and submit future bookings and promotional purchase orders. 
• Collaborate with internal web editing team to plan product mix and forecast successful products that necessitate larger investment. 
• Maintain accurate cost of goods and apply terms/discounts as applicable. 
• Forecast buys and plan buys in accordance with trends, past sales, and the merchandising plan. 
• Match inventory distribution with sales distribution. 
• Maximize SKU performance through appropriate product mix. 
• Use point of sale system data to identify and capitalize on trends in product assortments. 
• Manage promotional periods through special vendor negotiations and clearances. 
• Analyze current product assortments to determine over/under stocked areas. 
• Evaluate products and POs for accuracy; alter inventory decisions as necessary to benefit business. 
• Maintain backorder dates and ship dates on products and POs.
   

Website Responsibilities 

• Monitor the Riding website for errors and flaws; collaborate with web editing to improve functionality and customer experience.
   

Collaboration 

• Communicate with the Buying Department to identify and exploit opportunities in the market. 
• Communicate with web content staff sufficiently to ensure the information presented online is accurate and thorough. 
• Communicate with the Marketing Department to ensure that inventory levels are appropriate before marketing initiatives. 
• Communicate with Accounting to rectify any outstanding credit/mis-ship/pricing issues. 

Requirements

• Demonstrate familiarity with Riding products. 
• Display strong analytical and decision-making skills.  
• Practice confidentiality due to the nature of information role is privy to.  
• Be proficient in math and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint). 
• Demonstrate ability to learn new software applications. 
• Communicate clearly and professionally during conversations.  
• Demonstrate active listening skills.  
• Approach problem-solving with creativity and innovation. 
• Exhibit a professional demeanor in all interactions.  
• Interpret and execute written and verbal instructions accurately. 
• Follow directions well and gain clarification as needed. 
• Adapt to new circumstances and execute multiple tasks and deadlines.  
• Excellent organizational skills.  
• Maintain focus, attention to detail effectively. 
• Work independently and remain motivated. 
• Recognize when to seek assistance and collaborate effectively. 
• Foster a positive attitude and strong work ethic, contributing actively within a team.  
• Maintain a standard of conduct that will maintain an orderly and productive workplace. 
• Uphold standards of safety and cleanliness in the work environment. 
• Practice good judgement in actions and decision making.  
• Abide by all Sports Warehouse policies and procedures.  
• Demonstrate a sense of pride in your work and represent Sports Warehouse in a favorable manner.? 
• Other duties deemed necessary to support daily operations of Sports Warehouse. 

Supervisory Responsibility:  

This position has no direct supervisory responsibility. 

Work Environment:  

This role functions within a professional and collaborative office setting, regularly utilizing standard office equipment such as computers, tablets and phones for day-to-day tasks. This is an inclusive and team-oriented environment, where communication and collaboration are key. The office is designed to promote both focused work and creative brainstorming. 

Physical Requirements:  

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodation. 

• Primarily sit for extended periods in addition to occasional moving throughout the building to perform essential job duties, including standing and walking.  
• Regularly use hands, wrists, fingers, and arms to operate computers, tablets, phones and other technology or equipment necessary to complete assigned duties accurately and efficiently.   
• Communicate effectively to exchange information, coordinate workflow, and support operational and safety needs.  
• The ability to observe details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).   
• Regularly lift and/or move objects that weigh less than ten pounds, occasionally lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds, with heavier lifting infrequent and assisted when appropriate.  
• Occasionally required to stoop, bend, twist, reach, kneel, crouch or climb. 
• Work in an office environment that may include moderate noise levels and proximity to others. 
• Ability to work a scheduled shift and maintain regular attendance in accordance with company policies. 
• Ability to adapt to changing job duties and business needs.