Holt Renfrew Associate Buyer
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Junior
- Compensation
- $70,000–72,000/year
- Department
- Merchandising, Buying & Planning
- Posted
- Sep 30, 2026
Holt Renfrew hiring Associate Buyer in Toronto, ON. Manage luxury product sourcing, vendor negotiations, and merchandising strategy. CAD $70,000–$72,000 annually.
Role & Responsibilities
- Develop financial plans in partnership with the Buyer and Planner to support merchandising strategy
- Achieve planned sales and margin goals across assigned departments or commodities
- Prepare and present monthly forecast recaps, market recaps, and ad-hoc performance assessments by brand, department, or category
- Plan and align buy strategy to optimize local store needs; manage purchase orders and liaise with store partners to capture demand
- Source and select reliable, quality vendors; negotiate competitive bids within budget parameters to drive profitability
- Continuously evaluate vendor performance and internal procedures; recommend enhancements to buying office practices
- Attend market events as required to select and assemble collections; analyze customer buying patterns, competitor activity, and trend predictions to determine range, type, quantity, colour, size, and price
- Ensure timely merchandise delivery; initiate cancellations or negotiate discounts on late shipments
- Manage open-to-buy in partnership with Buyer and Planning to maximize business opportunities and inventory control
- Drive communication and relationships with store partners; gather customer feedback and respond to market needs
- Ensure product information and pre-key sessions are available to store teams
- Build and maintain strong internal partnerships with Planning, Marketing, Visual, Merchandising, and Store teams to preserve brand integrity and buying strategy
Qualifications
- Minimum 2 years of proven associate buying and/or planning experience, preferably in luxury retail
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate and articulate merchandise assortment strategies
- Highly collaborative and hands-on approach to portfolio management with capacity to make strategic recommendations
- Strong communication and presentation skills; proven ability to communicate portfolio performance at review meetings
- Proven ability to conduct strategic negotiations and build strong working relationships with internal and external partners
Skills
Experience
2 years of proven associate buying or planning experience, preferably in luxury retail. Experience in managing product assortments, vendor relationships, and financial planning is essential.
Education
Not explicitly specified. High school diploma or equivalent required; post-secondary education in fashion, business, or related field preferred.
Workplace
The role is situated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Compensation
The base compensation for this position ranges from CAD 70,000 to CAD 72,000 per annum.
Benefits
Competitive total compensation, generous employee discount, pension, health and dental benefits, tuition assistance, and continuous learning and development opportunities.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Holt Renfrew, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Buying Associate», «Junior Buyer», «Merchandise Buying Coordinator», «Procurement Associate», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.