The successful candidate will play a critical role in supporting our stores and merchandising teams across all aspects of our retail assortments—ensuring accurate and timely product implementation, maintaining assortment integrity, and driving sales growth while keeping operations and inventory optimized. This position offers hands-on experience with store execution, assortment strategy, and cross-functional collaboration, providing a strong foundation for a career in merchandising or buying.
We are seeking a professional with a strong retail background, demonstrated store leadership, and a commitment to exceptional customer service. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, intellectually curious, a collaborative team player, and brings a genuine passion for art materials and the creative community we serve.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as a key support to the Retail Merchandising team, assisting Merchandisers, the Retail Merchandising Managers, and Director with assortment management, product implementations, reporting, and special projects.
- Manage the Retail Assortments inbox, responding to store needs and coordinating solutions that support efficient store execution.
- Support new store openings and store resets, including onsite merchandising execution, vendor fixture setup, planogram implementation, and weekend leadership when required.
- Develop and maintain merchandising resources for new stores and resets, including planograms (POGs), SKU lists, product imagery, and merchandising binders.
- Manage assortment maintenance processes, including Add to Assortments and Deletes, and conduct regular analysis to ensure assortment accuracy and performance.
- Produce and analyze period-end sales reporting and merchandising analytics to support assortment decisions and business performance.
- Assist in merchandising tasks, including Retail Implementation Cards (RICs), the master assortment file (ABCD), SKU descriptions, and product attributes.
- Support new product setup for retail and web, ensuring accurate product data and readiness for successful implementation.
- Assist with store communications, merchandising resources, and display standards, including contributions to weekly retail notes and merchandising support materials.
- Provide operational support across merchandising functions, including product sample coordination, return-to-vendor (RTV) and clearance processes, and additional reporting or project work as needed.
Skills
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
- Strong analytical mindset, including interest in reporting, data analysis, and retail math to support merchandising decisions.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, formulas) and PowerPoint. If not yet proficient, must be willing and able to learn quickly.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams and departments.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities, with the capacity to think both creatively and analytically.
- Solid understanding of retail store operations and store leadership environments.
- Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced retail environment and shift priorities as business needs evolve.
- Demonstrates a high level of professionalism, work ethic, and a positive, team-oriented attitude.
- Flexibility to support key retail initiatives, including occasional travel, overnight work, or weekend schedules, and standing for long periods during store resets or new store openings.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree preffered.
- Minimum 2+ years in retail leadership; Blick retail experience preferred or comparable retail experience.
- Experience merchandising in stores, including product resets, clearance processes, and visual merchandising.
- Proficiency with merchandising systems, reporting tools, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook.
- Must be interested in merchandising and buying.
- Interest in or knowledge of the arts, art education, or art materials is a MUST
- Required to be in Highland Park on Mondays and Thursdays each week.
Travel
This role requires moderate domestic travel including overnights and occasional weekends
Pay Rate:
The pay range below is provided in compliance with state/city specific laws. This pay range applies to this location. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.
- $50,000 - $60,000 per year based on experience, plus incentives
Benefits Include
- Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
- 401K & Profit Sharing Plan
- Incentive Bonus Plans
- Paid Holidays & Paid Time Off
- Paid Parental Leave
- Short-Term/Long-Term Disability
- Training Opportunities
- Basic & Optional Life Insurance
- Employee Discount