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Associate buyer vs merchandise planner

The differences between associate buyers and merchandise planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate buyer and a merchandise planner. Additionally, a merchandise planner has an average salary of $69,460, which is higher than the $49,963 average annual salary of an associate buyer.

The top three skills for an associate buyer include customer service, purchase orders and math. The most important skills for a merchandise planner are gross margin, strong analytical, and math.

Associate buyer vs merchandise planner overview

Associate BuyerMerchandise Planner
Yearly salary$49,963$69,460
Hourly rate$24.02$33.39
Growth rate-19%
Number of jobs14,94232,301
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

What does an associate buyer do?

An Associate Buyer maintains and keeps records of the inventory and disburses the different materials as required by the departments or personnel. The Associate Buyer reports to the Buyer or Senior Buyer.

What does a merchandise planner do?

A merchandise planner is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of stock inventories and requesting purchase orders by researching current market trends to meet customer demands. Merchandise planners assist with marketing campaigns and promotional offers of the business, selling goods and services to the customers based on their needs and budget requirements. They also write sales reports, inspect the validity of merchandise, and maintain an attractive visual display of items. A merchandise planner resolves and escalates customer complaints timely, processes replacements, and issues refunds as needed.

Associate buyer vs merchandise planner salary

Associate buyers and merchandise planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Associate BuyerMerchandise Planner
Average salary$49,963$69,460
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $68,000Between $46,000 And $102,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyVFPandora
Best paying industryTechnologyRetail

Differences between associate buyer and merchandise planner education

There are a few differences between an associate buyer and a merchandise planner in terms of educational background:

Associate BuyerMerchandise Planner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 82%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Associate buyer vs merchandise planner demographics

Here are the differences between associate buyers' and merchandise planners' demographics:

Associate BuyerMerchandise Planner
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 31.8% Female, 68.2%Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 6.0% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 6.1% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between associate buyer and merchandise planner duties and responsibilities

Associate buyer example responsibilities.

  • Define and manage sales, markdowns, inventories (OTB plans) achieving financial objectives for all years in position.
  • Manage numerous RFP processes for the non-technology services.
  • Support include identifying and qualifying vendors, manage process for select RFP's and assist with bid assessments.
  • Work closely with planner and buyer to manage OTB and determine when to maximize business and when to protect liabilities.
  • Manage and develop successful relationships with top luxury watch and jewelry brands.
  • Coordinate and provide direction to inventory teams by managing product placement, open-to-buy, and logistics.
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Merchandise planner example responsibilities.

  • Monitor and analyze planned assortments by door in order to achieve plan turn goals and ROI.
  • Manage purchase order logs to ensure plan receipts and IMU requirements are maintained in the department.
  • Complete training on the JDA planning and forecasting system to effectively manage the financial aspects of each department.
  • Implement and manage the E3 auto-replenishment system to optimize inventory levels of width-size shoes, core shoes and shoe accessories.
  • Manage product flow in apparel category; determining order quantities and generating purchase orders for new and replenishment orders.
  • Manage and maintain the OTB for specific departments by preparing forecasts, evaluating performance, and maximizing profitability while minimizing liabilities.
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Associate buyer vs merchandise planner skills

Common associate buyer skills
  • Customer Service, 16%
  • Purchase Orders, 15%
  • Math, 5%
  • Vendor Relations, 5%
  • Logistics, 3%
  • Market Trends, 3%
Common merchandise planner skills
  • Gross Margin, 8%
  • Strong Analytical, 7%
  • Math, 7%
  • Historical Data, 7%
  • Open-To-Buy, 6%
  • Apparel, 6%

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