Merchant

Position Overview

The Merchant is responsible for developing and executing category-level strategies that support the broader department and brand objectives. This role manages the day-to-day performance of the category, translating department direction into strong assortments that drive sales and profitability. Responsibilities include analyzing market trends, building and managing assortments, optimizing pricing and promotions, and partnering closely with cross-functional teams to deliver against financial and product goals. The Merchant ensures the category meets or exceeds sales and profit targets while contributing insights that inform broader merchandising strategies. The role requires strong market awareness, analytical skills, and effective cross-functional collaboration.

Position Details

Work Environment:

At Duluth Trading Company, we value face-to-face interactions that foster our culture of learning, creativity, and teamwork. The role is based at our headquarters near Madison, WI. You will work in the office Monday through Thursday, with the option to work from home on Fridays if you prefer.

What You’ll Do: 

• Accountable for profitable sales and healthy business metrics
• Directly responsible for the selection of merchandise and assortment planning, by channel
• Drive color counts, color rank, sales, and assortment recommendations, by channel
• Collaborate with the Senior Merchant on the season’s strategy and buy of the assortment, owning color counts, color rank, sales, and assortment recommendations
• Analyze business performance on a weekly basis, presenting results to leadership and cross-functional partners
• Ensure assortment and sales plan aligns with merchandising strategies and will achieve planned category growth
• Set up and maintain assortment planning tools, including styles, colors, and product flow
• Responsible for catalog proofing and catalog merchandising for own category
• Act as key partner in milestone meetings, supporting category initiatives and presenting on business
• Accountable for full understanding and support of planning and inventory strategy
• Always have clear understanding of the competition and drive decisions to fill assortment white space
• Present in quarterly hindsighting of business, clearly articulating what worked vs. what didn’t and growth opportunities
• Partner with planning on reviewing future season sales plans, as well as future season planning
• Drive pre-season road mapping, strategy and business needs
• Review and align to planning’s in season suggestions at read and react, OTB meetings
• Review and align to planning’s buy strategy suggestions
• Partner with design team to evolve proven products and introduce new ideas to drive a new customer
• Initiate and perform additional ad hoc analytical assignments as required
• Initiate pre-season sales projections
• Responsible for determining competitors that relate to your category of business for your team
• Knowledge of an ability to load systems when support is needed
• Be accountable for team category-level roll up documentation
• Manage cost updates, MSRP, markdown information, assortment add/drops
• Understand and articulate reasons for IMU shifts, complying to SOX standards
• Provide category markdown recommendations and manage weekly documentation in systems, complying to SOX standards
• Approve final costing and IMU for categories of ownership
• Steer markdown recommendations from team, adjusting where necessary
• Lead, motivate, and develop a direct report
• Manage 1-2 direct reports and focus on building leadership and management skills
• Lead collaborative cross-functional partnerships
• Understand and be curious about the customer
• Schedule meetings and follow up for the team
• Bring and prepare appropriate documents for prep and milestone meetings
• Participate in proactive team efforts to achieve departmental and company goals.
• Adopt organization’s values in personal work behaviors, decision making, contributions and interpersonal interactions.
• Contribute to a positive work environment by demonstrating cultural expectations and influencing others to reward performance

What We’re Looking For:

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Merchandising, Business, or related field
  • Equivalent work experience will be considered 
• 5+ years of experience
• 1+ years of Management experience
• Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Office & Google Workspace
• Clear understanding of the competition and drive decisions to fill assortment white space
• Ability to articulate current state of the business, as well as future season planning
• Ability to present to Senior, VP, and Executive level management
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy across all business-critical data
• Strong presentation, interpersonal, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to effectively time manage high workload
• Passion and eye for product
• Experience leading an omnichannel retail level Assortment Planning program
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with multiple business units
• Proven experience with market buys​, both hard and soft-lines and managing external vendor relationships is highly preferred.
• The ability to ​identify brand-right products from external market vendors and assess what feels both authentic to Duluth and unique to the market.
• A "great eye" for product storytelling​ within retail and on-line
• ​The ability to quickly absorb the brand aesthetic and market positioning.
• Previous experience within the footwear category is a significant plus.
• ​​Proven results in a fast-paced test and learn environment
• A product-centric, highly curious strategic driver
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship. 

Leadership Competencies:

Leading Self:

      Leading Others:

• Inspiring Trust
• Adaptability
• Mature Confidence
• Career and Self Development

• Driving Execution
• Building Organizational Relationships
• Empowering Others
• Fostering Open Dialogue
• Attracting & Developing Talent
• Leadership Versatility

Physical Environment & Travel Expectations:

• Sitting is required for 90% of working hours.
• Standing is required for 10% of working hours.
• Continuous arm, hand, and wrist movement (ie: typing)
• Occasional reaching, twisting, and bending.
• Noise level no greater than casual conversation.
• Ability to perform work in cubicle workstations or an office setting.
• Work in temperatures ranging from 65 - 75 degrees.
• Light domestic travel, to tradeshows, store and competitive visits

Duluth Headquarters Benefits and Perks

Our pursuit of a better way isn't just about our products—it's about our people too.  That's why our Dam Good Crew enjoys a comprehensive benefits package, designed to support their well-being and success.

• Multiple Medical plan options 

• Dental & Vision plans 

• Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts 

• Health Savings Account including company contributions  

• Company paid Life Insurance and AD&D

• Company paid Short-Term Disability

• Other various voluntary benefits including: Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, Long-Term Disability and Supplemental Life Insurance

• 401(k) Employer Match 

• Parental Leave

• Paid holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

• Paid Time Off: take it as you need it policy for exempt employees

• Daily pay available  

• 40% Employee Discount 

• Flexible Fridays 

• Onsite fitness center

Position Compensation Outline 

Compensation Range: $84,000 to $105,000/year 

This position is eligible to participate in the company bonus program. 

Compensation listed is for the full-time position at this specific location and is based on several factors, including experience, and qualifications. Benefits and perks may have eligibility requirements and are subject to change.

#LIONSITE

The responsibilities outlined in this position description are a guideline for the general duties of the position and are not exhaustive of all duties inherent in the job. Duluth Trading Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

About Duluth Trading Company

Started in 1989, Duluth Trading Company exists to enable hard-working individuals to take on life with their own two hands. Folks that revel in doing it the hard way and celebrate finding a better way. We seek talented individuals who share these beliefs and are excited to further the Duluth Trading legacy with a digital-first mindset, always moving forward and always innovating.

From ingenious Duluth workwear, to comfortably capable Buck Naked Underwear, to outside-embracing AKHG, it’s all about the innovative gear and gadgets that equip customers for a more hands-on way of life.

Top-notch quality, immersive storytelling, outstanding customer service, and the shared belief that the go-all-in-and-dig-deep spirit exists with everyone are what sets Duluth Trading Co. apart. We seek talented folks looking to be part of a can-do team that’s hellbent on helping the world to gear up, get its hands dirty, and do.