WHY JOIN ALO?
Mindful movement. It’s at the core of why we do what we do at ALO—it’s our calling. Because mindful movement in the studio leads to better living. It changes who yogis are off the mat, making their lives and their communities better. That’s the real meaning of studio-to-street: taking the consciousness from practice on the mat and putting it into practice in life.
OVERVIEW
As the Senior Buyer for Women’s & Unisex for China & North Asia, you will play a critical role in launching and scaling a new strategic region at ALO. Reporting into Buying leadership, you will partner closely with International Merchandising and International Planning to drive the success and rapid growth of the China & North Asia business.
This role is both highly strategic and hands-on, requiring a strong balance of financial acumen and product intuition. You will be responsible for building and executing seasonal and carryover assortments that are locally relevant while aligned with global brand direction. You will also serve as a key leader within the Buying team, helping to mentor junior team members and establish best practices for this new division.
At ALO, our in-office collaboration and culture are one of our greatest assets. We believe in being together to build strong team partnerships and cross-functional relationships; this position requires full-time, in-office presence.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Own the development of sales forecasts and unit plans from a bottoms-up perspective for all Women’s & Unisex seasonal and carryover styles across China & North Asia markets.
- Build and execute localized assortments that reflect regional consumer preferences, climate, cultural nuances, and channel needs (Retail vs. Digital).
- Ensure buys are optimized to support financial targets and KPIs, balancing growth opportunities with inventory risk.
- Present seasonal buy strategies, assortments, and financial plans to Buying Director and senior leadership.
- Partner with Planning and Merchandising to manage key financial metrics, including Open-to-Buy, gross margin, SKU productivity, and unit plans.
- Drive category growth by partnering with Merchandising to define assortment architecture (category mix, breadth vs. depth, newness vs. carryover, store capacity).
- Analyze in-season and post-season performance to identify opportunities, risks, and actionable insights; adjust strategies accordingly.
- Identify top-performing styles to drive into carryover programs and ensure strong in-stock positions on core products.
- Recommend markdowns, phase-outs, and promotional strategies based on performance and lifecycle management.
- Lead seasonal hindsight reviews in partnership with Planning, identifying wins, misses, and clear action plans for future seasons.
- Act as a key voice for China & North Asia markets, providing insights and recommendations in cross-functional meetings based on data, trends, and market knowledge.
- Partner cross-functionally with Planning, Merchandising, Allocations, Marketing, Digital, Design, and Production to ensure alignment and execution.
- Collaborate on international pricing strategies, ensuring competitive and market-relevant pricing across China & North Asia countries.
- Manage and track product launches and delivery timelines, proactively identifying risks and communicating solutions to maintain launch integrity.
- Build a strong understanding of country-specific and channel-specific needs across the China & North Asia region to inform assortment and allocation decisions.
- Mentor and support the development of junior team members, helping to elevate team performance and capabilities.
Qualifications
- BA or BS preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in buying, planning, or merchandising, preferably within apparel or fashion retail.
- Strong experience or exposure to Asian markets; knowledge of China and broader APAC region highly preferred.
- Proven ability to balance financial analysis with strong product and trend intuition.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and presentation skills.
- Highly organized with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strategic thinker with a proactive, results-driven mindset.
- Strong leadership skills with experience mentoring or managing junior team members.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
The base salary range for this position is $120,000-$130,000 per year which represents the current range for the base salary for this exempt position. Please note that actual salaries will vary based on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. As such, on occasion and when applicable, there is the possibility that the final, agreed-upon base salary may be outside of the upper end of the range. Please also note the range listed is just one component of the company’s total rewards package for exempt employees. Other rewards may include performance bonuses, long term incentives, a PTO policy, and many other progressive benefits.