Job Description
Job Description
SUMMARY
Mahoney's is a family-owned and operated independent garden center with 7 retail locations in the Greater Boston Area and Cape Cod. For over 60 years, we have taken pride in offering the highest selection of quality plants, yard products, and gardening accessories – with outstanding customer service to match!
We employ customer-driven people that are dedicated to creating a refreshing and helpful shopping experience. For our employees, we offer a fun, fast-paced, and challenging workplace with the opportunity for growth. We are committed to maintaining a work environment that encourages trust, hard work, efficiency, self-motivation, initiative, continuous improvement, and teamwork. We provide an opportunity for personal and professional growth and a great employee discount, as well!
OBJECTIVE
The responsibility of the Lawn and Garden Product Line Manager is to create seasonal purchase orders for new and existing product lines in support of all store locations. Make informed product purchases based on item availability and a combination of industry trends, data analysis and current inventory levels. Communication externally with vendors as well as internally with appropriate store level management is required to meet customer demand and maintain productive working relationships.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
- Ensure all data and product information is accurately entered into spreadsheets for all purchase orders including item quantities, vendor codes, cost, retail price and freight cost
- Establish appropriate product descriptions for new products ensuring descriptions reflect item qualities and meet company standards
- Develop effective working relationships with vendors across the product line to fulfill store commitments, negotiate optimal price points, resolve product discrepancies and ensure sufficient inventory levels
- Develop and maintain a large network of industry contacts to source new vendors to account for industry variables and product availability to fill purchase order gaps across the product line
- Continually source new products and trends through a variety of research tools including trade show attendance, social media, broker contacts, newsletters and survey subscriptions
- Analyze buyer reports for each product line category to review sales success, store specific sales, order quantities, sell through and current inventory levels to make informed purchase decisions for the future season
- Maintain database of existing product descriptions continually updating item qualities based on vendor and grower purchases in support of Ecommerce and Operations Teams
- Complete routine visits to all store locations to discuss recommendations for product refills, transfer requests, review of physical inventory, seasonal markdowns and quality assurance of product displays and live product vitality
- Collaborate with merchandising and operations team to develop effective ways to cross-merchandise product lines and offer subject matter expertise to make informed recommendations for displays
- Collaborate with the marketing team to develop and execute effective product line communication strategies including the creation of seasonal events as well as the timely completion and messaging of the marketing calendar
- Communicate with store level management to receive and review employee and customer feedback in support of industry research efforts
- Provide training and mentoring to Department Managers on product and vendor selection as well as general product line knowledge and the optimization of product timing
- Complete all other tasks as assigned by Management
COMPETENCIES
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to maintain productive working relationships with colleagues both inside and outside of the organization
- Well organized with a strong attention to detail
- Strong negotiation skills
- Ability to self-direct and work independently
- High level of creativity
- Strong analytical skills/ability to interpret data sets
PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Associates Degree in Agricultural Science, Horticulture, Inventory Management or other related field and 3+ years' experience in a progressive role working in a garden shop, agricultural or horticultural retail business and 2 years of demonstrated inventory management experience working with perishable and seasonal retail product. 1+ year experience working with a POS system, CounterPoint preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
This job operates in an active retail store environment. This job may be either indoors or outdoors or both.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.
This position requires frequent standing, walking, climbing, stooping, kneeling, crouching and / or crawling. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
POSITION TYPE / EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK
Flexible hours. Days and hours of work vary by schedule and season. Must be available to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
EEO STATEMENT
Mahoney's provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, pregnancy, marital status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
You will be subject to a background check