Purchasing and Vendor Manager (Vaughan)

Company Description

GMD Wholesale Inc. is a Canadian based distributor, well known within the industry since 2006. Headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, GMD represents manufacturers and major brands, distributing their products to retailers in Canada. By partnering with GMD, Canadian retailers have access to the latest consumer products for in-store and online drop ship fulfillment. GMDs streamlined warehouses in the Greater Toronto Area make fulfillment simple and efficient. Our business model is unique and has been an ideal solution for many top brands and manufacturers across various categories. With a dedicated team, GMD has successfully helped these companies access the Canadian market, while providing retailers and their customers, brands and merchandise across a wide variety of categories.

The Role and Opportunity

This is an in office position. Please do not apply unless you are interested in working in office with a collaborative and dynamic team.

We are seeking an experienced Purchasing & Vendor Manager to join our growing team. This role is responsible for sourcing product lines, managing key vendor relationships, identifying market trends, and developing accurate purchasing forecasts to support sales growth and inventory performance. This person will work closely with senior leadership to oversee and manage a growing multi-million dollar portfolio of brands and products.

The ideal candidate has hands-on buying and sourcing experience with a major retailer, distributor, or wholesale organization and possesses strong knowledge of consumer product trends, emerging brands, and category performance. This individual must be analytical, highly organized, and confident negotiating with vendors while balancing inventory levels, margins, and customer demand.

GMD is in a major growth phase with new brands coming on board, and USA expansion plans. This role is key component of our continued success.

Key Responsibilities

• Source and procure products that align with company sales goals, margin targets, and market demand

• Develop and manage relationships with domestic and international vendors, manufacturers, and distributors

• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, freight arrangements, rebates, and promotional opportunities

• Monitor product trends, competitive pricing, and emerging brands to identify new opportunities

• Build and maintain forecasting models using sales history, seasonality, market trends, and inventory turnover data

• Collaborate with sales and operations teams to ensure inventory availability and optimize stock levels

• Analyze purchasing performance, vendor performance, and category profitability

• Evaluate and onboard new suppliers while maintaining strong partnerships with existing vendors

• Support product assortment planning and category expansion initiatives

• Work closely with warehouse and logistics teams to ensure smooth product flow and delivery timelines

• Identify slow-moving inventory and develop strategies to improve inventory health and sell-through

Qualifications

• 5+ years of buying, sourcing, or vendor management experience within a major retailer, distributor, or wholesale organization

• Proven experience sourcing and purchasing branded consumer products

• Strong understanding of product trends, market dynamics, and brand positioning

• Demonstrated ability to build accurate demand forecasts and inventory plans

• Strong negotiation and vendor relationship management skills

• Experience managing multiple product categories and high-volume purchasing activity

• Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and inventory/ERP systems

• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and follow-through

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

What We Offer

• Competitive salary ($90,000 - $125,00) and performance incentives

• Prospect to work with established and emerging brands

• Collaborative and entrepreneurial work environment

• Career growth opportunities within a growing organization