Retail Green Goods Buyer

Chalet procures the very best plants in order to help our customers beautify their homes, inside and out. Reporting to our Director of Merchandising, we have an opportunity for a Retail Green Goods Buyer to join our team to support our retail nursery and garden center in Wilmette, IL.

Responsibilities of our Retail Green Goods Buyer are to:

• Source and procure the highest quality plant material in various categories by incorporating customer feedback, market trends, and historic analysis.
• Create the yearly purchasing plan for the upcoming seasons and make adjustments as needed. 
• Continually develop a network of potential vendors and suppliers. Visit all vendors on a regular schedule to maximize relationships. Maintain strong relationships and set expectations with current vendors and suppliers.
• Source product to fulfill the yearly plan and all deadlines. Categories would include (but are not limited to) indoor plants, patio tropicals, seasonal/Holiday, and botanical products.
• Search for specialty or specimen product to fit unique applications. Ensure the product mix is inspiring for Chalet or customer created containers.
• Balance information from in-person plant product inspections, customer feedback and data from Excel and Acumatica in making decisions. Provide analysis to management team as requested.
• Be an active presence in the Nursery yard and backstock areas.
• Partner with our Landscape Division Green Goods Buyers to bounce ideas off and to collaborate about best practices like merging orders to minimize shipping costs, product awareness, sellable inventory and review of vendors and pricing. You’ll also collaborate with our Visual and Signature teams.
• Visit other local garden centers to keep finger on the pulse of comparable products in a competitive environment.
• Assist in purchasing other categories in off-seasons as needed.

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Three to five years of experience as a buyer (preferably in the green goods industry).
• Horticulture knowledge gained from a degree in horticulture, industry certifications and/or hands-on experience is a strong advantage.
• A fast-on-your-feet problem solver with a high energy level who is confident to take trend-setting risks.
• Strong ability to integrate analytics and metrics with industry trends and intuition when making plant purchasing decisions.
• A confident and thorough communicator who knows how to utilize varied communication vehicles for the most productive, tactful, and diplomatic interactions.
• A good listener, who has a proven track record of seeking out input from co-workers, and can work collaboratively.
• Be able to have a big picture focus, staying mindful of all the small details.
• Demonstrated abilities using technology – inventory management systems, point of sale systems, social media, and Microsoft Office (especially Excel). Experience with Shopify or Acumatica is a plus.

Ideally a full-time year-round position, but open to a lesser schedule of part time or seasonal. In the first interview, we’d discuss what aspects of the job would change if the status changed. If full-time, this would be a salaried position, and our benefits and compensation package includes competitive salary; medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances; paid time off; holidays; 401(k) with match; and product discount.