Secondhand store Buffalo Exchange provides ideal opportunities for part-time and full-time job seekers. The growing chain began in Arizona in the mid-1970s and boasts nearly 50 stores nationwide. A private company looking to grow, the retailer hires on new workers to maintain expansion plans.
Facts About Working at Buffalo Exchange
Hiring Age: 16 years old (How old do you have to be to work at Buffalo Exchange?)
Available Positions: Sales Associate, Cashier, Merchandise Handler, Key Holder, Assistant Store Manager, General Store Manager, Assistant Buyer, Buyer, Bookkeeper, Floor Assistant
Printable Application: Yes. Print Buffalo Exchange application (PDF) or Search Job Openings.
Buffalo Exchange Employee Interview Videos
Buffalo Exchange Job Opportunities
Company operations center on name-brand fashions sold at bargain price points. Founding sisters Kerstin and Spencer Block created the retail chain to benefit both customers and employees. In addition to affordable fashions from premier names in the industry, Buffalo Exchange promotes social responsibility, fun and engaging workplaces, and integrity within teams. Workers should enjoy the fashion industry and interacting with others on a daily basis. A majority of each shift features regular one-on-one interfacing with customers and coworkers, regardless of position. Applicants must match the bright and personable expectations held by management in order to gain employment.
The entry-level jobs available to motivated workers include cashiering, sales, and stock duties. Other opportunities for work include careers in management. Candidates must maintain the ability to work at least three days a week, including at least one day each weekend, for employment consideration. Buffalo Exchange provides employment benefits to associates with schedules of 20 work hours or more per week. Both part-time and full-time employees enjoy paid training. While no experience proves necessary for entry-level roles, managerial careers often require related backgrounds.
Buffalo Exchange Employment and Pay Scales
Part-time roles carry a minimum hiring age of 16 years, which provides ample opportunities for high school and college students to find meaningful entry-level work. Retail management roles often require applicants to stand at least 18 and hold high school diplomas. Fun and energetic individuals passionate about the fashion industry generally find success in the following positions:
Cashier
- One of two main entry-level jobs, cashier positions feature part-time hours and minimum wage starting pay, in most cases.
- Cashiers work frontend checkout aisles and process transactions, handle returns, and assist in sales.
- Communicative, outgoing, and diligent individuals work best in the role.
- Applicants should also possess basic math and computer skills.
- Buffalo Exchange also prefers workers with in-depth knowledge of fashion and the apparel industry, in general.
Buyer
- Another entry-level position requiring broad fashion knowledge, the buyer job title positions associates at various spots on the sales floor.
- Primary duties include organizing merchandise racks, recommending fashions, and providing general sales assistance.
- Buyers also process clothing brought in by customers for resale.
- The fast paces common at store locations require buyers to work quickly and efficiently to ensure smooth business operations and a positive experience for each customer.
- Average hourly pay for buyer employees hovers around $10.00.
Management
- Store management offers multiple opportunities for employment.
- Applicants meeting the required age and holding the proper education certifications may find work as associate managers and store managers.
- Both jobs involve hiring, training, supervising, and scheduling workers in addition to tracking inventory and sales, motivating subordinates, assigning daily tasks, and overseeing opening and closing procedures.
- Associate managers typically look after groups or teams of workers, while store managers ensure successful operations across each assigned storefront.
- Store managers also report directly to the company home offices.
- Associate manager pay scales fall between $25,000 and $35,000 a year.
- Annual salary options for store managers rise to nearly $50,000.
- Most managers work full-time, including weekends and some holidays.
Tips For Applying
Applicants should possess both personal and professional interests related to careers in the fashion industry in order to gain employment. During the interview process, show dedication to fashion and awareness of recent trends in the industry to make lasting impressions on hiring personnel. Workers should also express interests in learning more about the business side of the industry, including how to track market trends, analyze profits, and market effectively. Buffalo Exchange focuses on business literacy and offers in-depth training to managers and entry-level associates alike on various aspects of running businesses.
Application Status
The Buffalo Exchange hiring process may take between a day to two weeks to complete, depending on the size of candidate pools. In some cases, applicants receive immediate consideration and interview on-the-spot or same-day via telephone or in person. Other job seekers may wait to hear back from the secondhand retailer. Calling, emailing, or making in-person visits to check on the status of an application may improve odds of employment. If applying online, workers usually receive emails in confirmation of submitted hiring materials. Other methods of applying typically require personal contact and initiative.
Benefits of Working at Buffalo Exchange
Upon meeting the required 20 hours of work per week to receive employment benefits, Buffalo Exchange associates enjoy healthcare options and financial planning assistance. Eligible employees receive:
- Medical
- Dental and vision plans
- 401(k) retirement plans and bonus incentives
Both part-time and full-time workers receive discounts on merchandise and paid time off in addition to paid training and career growth opportunities.
More Information on Buffalo Exchange
A perennial winner of awards for retail operations, the prominent chain of secondhand stores also receives honorable mention and recognition for environmental and social stewardship. In 2011, the company won runner-up for the Community Strength Award presented by the City of Tucson. Green initiatives website Treehugger.com ranked Buffalo Exchange as the Best Fashion Shop the same year. The retailer also manages an award-winning publication called Buffalo Exchange Zine, a periodical which focuses on issues facing the fashion industry as well as current trends in style.
