Buyer - Apparel Men's and Collegiate Licensed at Cracker Barrel in Lebanon, TN

Job description

They say you are the company you keep - and at Cracker Barrel, we take that seriously. At the Store Support Center, we’re in the business of serving those who serve our guests. Whether you’re designing solutions, telling our story, or setting our teams up for success, your work makes a difference every single day. Here, the work means more because we take pride in doing it together. So, join our team and find your place, because here...we’re all in good company. What You'll Do - You'll Make the Moment As our Buyer for Men’s Apparel and Collegiate Licensed Apparel , you’ll own the strategy and performance of these key categories from product development and sourcing through launch and in-season management. You’ll bring together customer insights, market trends, and strong vendor partnerships to create compelling assortments that drive sales, margin, and brand-right growth. Essential Duties : Merchandise Management Category Leadership and Assortment Strategy includes: · Own a defined merchandise category or portfolio of categories, including assortment strategy, financial performance, vendor structure, and multi-season growth plans · Translates customer insights, competitive intelligence, trend analysis, and business performance into differentiated assortment strategies In-Season Business Management · Leads weekly and seasonal business review processes to identify opportunities, mitigate risks, and take decisive action on reorders, cancellations, promotional strategies, markdowns, consolidations, and exits · Continuously evaluate SKU productivity and assortment productivity to inform future buy strategies, space allocation, and portfolio optimization Product Development + Sourcing · Leads product development and curation ensuring assortments are customer-right, competitively positioned, and aligned with brand standards · Drives innovation and category evolution by identifying whitespace opportunities, emerging trends, and product concepts that support long-term growth Business Performance + Financial Accountability · Owns category performance against sales, gross margin, turn, markdown, and inventory productivity targets, with accountability for balancing growth, profitability, and risk · Partners with Planning and Allocation to shape open-to-buy, receipt flow, item productivity, pricing architecture, and inventory investment decisions · Applies advanced retail math, forecasting insight, and scenario analysis to make informed decisions that improve category returns and reduce inventory exposure Vendor Strategy and Management · Lead vendor relationships including strategic sourcing, negotiations, cost management, performance expectations, and long-term partnership development · Negotiate costs, terms, exclusivity, and product development opportunities that strengthen margin performance and support differentiated assortments Cross-Functional Leadership · Influence cross-functional partners across Planning, Allocation, Supply Chain, Marketing, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, and eCommerce to bring category strategies to market effectively · Present category strategies, assortment recommendations, performance insights, and financial actions to leadership with clear business rationale and executive presence · Lead cross-functional initiatives and category workstreams, aligning partners around priorities, decisions, timelines, and business outcomes People Leadership + Development Focus · Lead, coach, and develop at least one direct report, providing clear direction, ongoing feedback, and support for individual growth and performance · Set expectations, prioritize work, and reinforce accountability to ensure high-quality execution and strong business outcomes Experience and Education · Bachelor’s degree in Business, Merchandising, Marketing, Retail Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience · 5+ years of progressive experience in retail buying, merchandising, planning, or relate