Assistant Buyer & Retail Associate

Assistant Buyer / Fit Expert (Full-Time)

Tortoise & Hare Sports – Glendale, AZ (In-Store Position)

Starting at $20 an hour

Tortoise & Hare Sports is seeking a detail-oriented, customer-focused Assistant Buyer / Fit Expert to join our team. This is a dual-role, in-store position that combines high-touch sales floor work with behind-the-scenes buying and inventory execution. The ideal candidate thrives both serving customers on the floor and supporting the operational systems that keep a specialty running store running smoothly.

This position is intentionally structured as a dual role:

• ~20 hours/week on the sales floor as a Fit Expert
• ~20 hours/week supporting buying and inventory operations as an Assistant Buyer

All work is performed on-site at our Glendale, AZ store. Final buying decisions remain with the Head of Product; success in this role is defined by execution excellence.

What You’ll DoSales Floor Responsibilities – Fit Expert (~20 hrs/week)

• Deliver a welcoming, high-touch customer experience with warmth, curiosity, and expertise
• Greet customers and identify needs using our proprietary 5 Point Fit Process
• Perform expert footwear fittings and recommend appropriate footwear, apparel, and accessories
• Maintain strong and evolving product knowledge across footwear, apparel, and accessories
• Thank customers for shopping locally and reinforce our connection to the community
• Accurately operate the POS system, including:
• Sales transactions
• Exchanges and returns
• Special order intake
• Maintain visual merchandising standards on the footwear wall and sales floor
• Assist multiple customers simultaneously without sacrificing experience quality
• Restock and straighten product after customer interactions
• Follow scheduling expectations and complete daily operational checklists
• Consistently embody our values: Service, Quality, Innovation, Community, Teamwork

Sales Floor Success Looks Like:

• Strong customer satisfaction and service metrics
• Consistent professionalism and reliability

Assistant Buyer Responsibilities (~20 hrs/week)

Purchase Orders & Buying Execution

• Enter and maintain purchase orders accurately in the POS system
• Support at-once, future, and fill-in orders as directed by the Head of Product
• Track open POs, delivery windows, backorders, and changes
• Maintain organized order confirmations and documentation
• Proactively flag discrepancies or delays before they impact the sales floor

Special Orders & Product Flow

• Process customer special orders from intake through pickup
• Track special orders for accuracy, timeliness, and follow-through
• Communicate clearly with sales floor staff on order status
• Coordinate with receiving to ensure special orders are properly received, labeled, and staged

Inventory Operations & Accuracy

• Assist with receiving shipments and verifying accuracy against POs
• Help maintain clean, accurate inventory data in the POS
• Support cycle counts, audits, and discrepancy resolution
• Assist with replenishment execution

Product Communication & Visual Execution

• Support internal communication around new arrivals, product updates, and seasonal assortments
• Assist with footwear wall planograms and resets
• Support visual merchandising direction from leadership
• Partner with leadership and marketing on product launches and storytelling

What We’re Looking For

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Comfort working in POS and inventory systems
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Ability to manage multiple workflows and shift between customer-facing and operational work
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information
• Retail operations, inventory, or buying support experience preferred
• Passion for running, health & wellness, and customer-focused retail is a plus

Why This Role Matters

This dual-role, in-store position plays a critical role in protecting:

• Inventory accuracy
• Customer trust
• Smooth product flow

While this role does not make final buying decisions, it carries meaningful operational responsibility and has a direct impact on store success.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive pay
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• IRA with company matching
• Paid time off
• Generous employee discounts
• Gym membership stipend
• Paid training and professional growth opportunities

Why Work at Tortoise & Hare Sports?

We are a community-driven specialty running store focused on connection, service, and helping people move better. This role offers the opportunity to grow professionally while making a real impact in the local fitness community.

If this role sounds exciting but you don’t meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We value curiosity, work ethic, and a willingness to learn just as much as direct experience.

Every application is reviewed by a real member of our team, not filtered by AI or automated systems. We’re genuinely interested in getting to know people who care about great service, strong execution, and being part of a community-focused specialty retailer.

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person