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CSC Generation is seeking a Buyer for Bike Hard Goods to own assortment strategy, vendor negotiations, and inventory management for complete bikes, frames, and components across three cycling retail banners: Bike Tires Direct, Backcountry, and Competitive Cyclist.
In this role, you will decide which bikes and parts customers ride and build with each season. You'll develop and implement comprehensive sourcing strategies for bike hard goods—including drivetrains, wheels, brakes, suspension, cockpit components, and pedals—ensuring technically sound product availability across all three banners. You'll source and assess merchandise spanning complete bikes, frames, and individual components, factoring in market trends, cross-component compatibility, and historical selling data.
Key responsibilities include building and maintaining vendor relationships across bike brands and component manufacturers, negotiating discounts, terms, and promotional windows while identifying new vendors. You'll create SKU/PO worksheets and build purchase orders under tight deadlines, optimizing cost and profitability through volume negotiations. Your deep technical knowledge of bike and component systems will be essential—you'll ensure assortment compatibility, spec accuracy, and provide technical guidance to vendors, planning, and customer-facing teams.
You'll review SKU/brand/category performance for future opportunities, establish receipt flow, set sell-through targets, and manage inventory through reorders and order reductions in partnership with Planning. You'll also partner with Marketing on selling strategy, promotion concepts, and visual merchandising to maximize sales. Using sales data, market trends, and customer insights, you'll forecast demand, anticipate future needs, and develop effective procurement plans. You'll monitor KPIs, analyze buying trends, evaluate vendor performance, and propose improvement strategies to achieve sales targets and maximize profitability.
This is a lean team where you'll own a lot, move fast, and make decisions with full end-to-end responsibility. You'll work closely with the Senior Buyer and Planning partner to support departmental initiatives.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 4–7 years of buying experience
- Strong, hands-on technical knowledge of bikes, frames, and components (drivetrains, groupsets, brake systems, wheel/tire standards, suspension, cockpit/contact points, frame geometry and material) and ability to evaluate cross-component and build-kit compatibility
- Deep understanding of the cycling/outdoor retail market, customer preferences, and industry dynamics
- Proven experience in inventory management, demand forecasting, and optimizing procurement processes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with demonstrated negotiation skills
- Firm understanding of retail math fundamentals
- Excellent organizational skills with extreme attention to detail and ability to prioritize competing tasks
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; strong collaborator
- Proficient in Microsoft Office, including advanced Excel; experience with purchasing software and systems
- Working knowledge of AI tools and their practical application in merchandising workflows (demand forecasting, assortment planning, trend analysis, reporting)
- Willingness and ability to travel as needed
- Mandatory in-person interview requirement at Cottonwood Heights office
PREFERRED:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or related field
- E-commerce and/or bike industry buying experience
- Genuine passion for cycling and deep interest in the products
