eCommerce Placement specializes in placing eCommerce Buyers and Digital Merchandising leaders at brands, retailers, and marketplaces across the US, Canada, and UK. Contingency-based. No placement, no fee.
The Role
eCommerce Buyers sit at the intersection of merchandising, assortment planning, and digital commerce strategy. Unlike traditional retail buyers, eCommerce Buyers need to understand online customer behavior, digital shelf performance, and how assortment decisions impact search, conversion, and margin in digital channels.
Our Approach
We work on contingency, meaning you pay our fee only when we successfully place a candidate. No retainer. No upfront cost. Our fee is 20% of the placed candidate's first-year base salary, invoiced on their start date.
Every placement includes a replacement guarantee. If a hire does not work out within the guarantee period, we conduct a new search at no additional cost.
Start a Search →Why Specialize
eCommerce buying is distinct from traditional retail buying. The digital context changes how assortment decisions are made, measured, and optimized.
The best eCommerce Buyers think about assortment through a digital lens: search demand, conversion rates by category, digital shelf performance, and margin impact at the SKU level. We screen for digitally-oriented buying experience.
Strong eCommerce Buyers combine vendor negotiation and relationship management skills with deep category knowledge and digital merchandising understanding. We assess both dimensions in every search.
eCommerce Buyers who use analytics to inform assortment, pricing, and promotional decisions consistently outperform those relying on intuition alone. We screen for analytical fluency alongside buying and merchandising experience.
What We Fill
Digital assortment planning, vendor management, and merchandising for eCommerce retailers and brands.
Senior buyer with broader category ownership and vendor portfolio management.
Digital-focused buying role at omnichannel retailers managing online assortment and digital shelf.
Buyer role focused on marketplace channels including Amazon, Walmart.com, and Target.com.
Senior buying leadership overseeing assortment strategy, team, and vendor relationships.
Merchandise planning role combining buying and inventory forecasting for eCommerce channels.
Our Process
Most eCommerce Buyer searches deliver an initial shortlist in 1 to 2 weeks and a placed candidate in 3 to 6 weeks.
FAQ
eCommerce Buyer compensation typically ranges from $65,000 to $95,000 in base salary. Senior Buyers run $90,000 to $120,000. Director of Buying roles typically earn $120,000 to $160,000. Our 2026 eCommerce Salary Guide includes detailed benchmarks.
An eCommerce Buyer focuses on assortment strategy: which products to carry, at what prices, and from which vendors. A Site Merchandiser focuses on how those products are presented on the site: category structure, search relevance, featured placements, and on-site promotions. They work closely together but have distinct functions.
Yes. We recruit eCommerce Buyers for pure-play online retailers, omnichannel retailers with significant digital businesses, marketplaces, and DTC brands with complex assortment requirements. Each environment has distinct buying dynamics and we screen accordingly.
Strong eCommerce Buyers use a combination of buying systems (retail ERP, OMS), web analytics (Google Analytics 4, Adobe Analytics), and category-specific tools for digital shelf performance. We assess analytical tool fluency as part of our buying candidate screens.
Yes, with caveats. Traditional retail buying provides strong foundations in vendor management, margin analysis, and category strategy. eCommerce buying adds digital shelf performance, search-driven demand signals, and online conversion metrics to the skillset. The strongest candidates have both, but we can identify retail buyers with the digital aptitude to transition successfully.
Tell us about the role and we will be in touch within one business day.