Title: Buyer, Specialty Category: Merchandising & Product Development EmploymentType: Full-Time Location: NY-New York (Union Square) LocationType: corporate JobLocation: New York, New York 10003 JobSummary: In this role, you will execute a strategic product and merchandising vision that aligns with the company’s goals and objectives. You are expected to be highly organized and relentless in the development and curation of the product assortment—maintaining an elevated aesthetic appropriate for a bookstore, establishing thoughtful pricing and promotional strategies, and applying strong analytical skills to maximize sales and profitability. Success in this role requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams to clearly communicate and effectively implement the merchandising vision. An employee in this position can expect a starting rate of $70,000 annually, depending on experience, seniority, geographic locations, and other factors permitted by law. WhatYouDo: • Scour the market to source unique, compelling, on-brand products that will differentiate B&N and Paper Source from the retail landscape. • Identify and act on emerging market trends and opportunities to drive growth and innovation. • Successfully negotiates vendor terms—including pricing, margin, exclusivity, and delivery timelines—to support business goals and drive profitability. • Deliver detailed analysis of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual performance data—down to the SKU level—including revenue, profitability, product performance, and on-time delivery metrics. • Cultivate and maintain professional, results-driven relationships with vendors to ensure Barnes & Noble and Paper Source are prioritized for first access to product opportunities. • Socialize assortment information across key departments—including Specialty Inventory Management, Visual Merchandising, Commercial Strategy, and Store Operations—to ensure seamless execution and alignment throughout the business. • Apply strong analytical skills to monitor sales trends of individual titles both internally and across the broader market, ensuring timely and informed decision-making. • Attend relevant trade shows to identify new products, market trends, and business opportunities, while strengthening key partnerships within the vendor community. • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with cross-functional partners, including SIMs, Visual Merchandising, Store Operations, and Creative teams to drive messaging, sales, and strategy. Expected Behaviors • Exhibits creativity, discipline, and relentless focus towards all manner of opportunities, including exclusives and first to markets. • Partners with colleagues to accomplish common goals, supporting the sense of ambition within the team. • Listens attentively to feedback from the Specialty group, as well as partners from other teams; is receptive to other perspectives, incorporating this feedback in decision making. • Is flexible and able to adapt and course correct quickly as events dictate. • Is positive, self-motivated, and proactive. • Demonstrates resilience when working to deadlines or subject to critical scrutiny. • Is curious and continues to develop deep knowledge of the industry and market. • Recognizes and takes ownership for mistakes, ensuring these are not repeated more than is inevitable or reasonable. • Has strong collaborative skills, can remain calm when working with any partner. • Can organize, plan and prioritize workload. Knowledge&Experience: • Bachelor’s degree preferred along with three to five years of experience as a buyer. • Demonstrates strong analytical skills and a consistent curiosity to explore and interpret data with depth and precision. • Possesses an innate understanding of both the Barnes & Noble and Paper Source customer, with the ability to clearly articulate the unique characteristics and preferences of each. • Demonstrates creative thinking in both product development and strategic problem-solving, bringing innovative solutions to complex challenges. • Effectively collaborates with cross-functional teams at all levels, fostering strong, constructive working relationships to drive shared success. • Exhibits excellent verbal and written communication skills, effectively and comfortably engaging both internal teams and external partners. • Highly organized with a strong ability to see projects through to completion, while communicating proactively and consistently throughout the process. • Possesses a strong understanding of the distinction between mass market titles and specialty lines, with a clear vision for why the company’s future success lies in the latter. • Maintains a keen awareness of media and social media trends related to Toys, Gifts, and Games, as well as news and developments impacting these industries. EeoStatement: Barnes & Noble is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship status, military or veteran status, religion, creed, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition as defined by applicable law, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, hairstyle, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, reproductive health decisions, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.