Live Goods Specialist
Since 1978, Big Tool Box has been the family-owned hardware haven where "all the expertise is under one roof," putting customer service at the heart of everything it does. Spanning five powerhouse categories-Ace Hardware and Tools for every nut, bolt, and power tool imaginable; the Rental & Repair Center to keep projects moving without breaking the bank; the Highlands Garden Center bursting with plants, soil, and green-thumb guidance; the Lawn & Sprinkler Center for flawless outdoor irrigation and landscape solutions; and the Grillin and Chillin Center stocked with premium BBQ grills and all the accessories for perfect backyard cookouts-Big Tool Box remains the go-to destination for contractors, gardeners, grill masters, and DIYers alike.
Job Summary
- Serve as the in-store expert for live goods (annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, houseplants, bulbs, sod) by owning purchasing, receiving, cycle counts, merchandising, plant credits, outdoor garden center setup, and monitoring exceptional service.
- Keep plants healthy, displays stunning, and inventory accurate while delivering "wow" customer experiences in the garden center.
- Full-time position with flexible availability including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Praise worthy customer service is our goal in every customer interaction.
Key Responsibilities
- Purchasing Live Goods
- Forecast and place weekly orders with local nurseries, Monrovia, Proven Winners, Bonnie Plants, Costa Farms, and Ace co-op using weather trends, sell-through velocity, and contractor pre-books.
- Negotiate early-order discounts, co-op tags, and freight terms; lock in spring color rotations by December.
- Track PO aging; expedite late trucks and update out-of-stock board daily.
- Receiving Live Goods
- Inspect every pallet/truck upon arrival: count plants, check for pests/disease, verify cold-chain, scan tags, and photo-document damage.
- Quarantine suspect stock, notify vendor within 2 hours, and stage healthy plants by sunlight/water needs.
- Process live receipts in Ace Vision; reconcile shorts and log temperature logs.
- Cycle Counts & Inventory Accuracy
- Execute daily cycle counts on 50-100 live SKUs using mobile RF scanner; focus on high-shrink (succulents, herbs) and negative on-hand.
- Pull Mango live goods reports: Zero Sales, Over 30 Days, Shrink %; cull and credit unsellables same-day.
- Maintain 98% accuracy; adjust for transplant loss, customer damage, or theft.
- Merchandising & Outdoor Garden Center Setup
- Set up and refresh outdoor garden center tables, A-frame racks, color bowls, hanging baskets, and tree corrals per seasonal calendar.
- Build themed zones (pollinator patio, veggie start, shade retreat) with Proven Winners POP, QR care tags, and cross-merch (pots + saucers + fertilizer).
- Water, prune, deadhead, rotate stock daily; consolidate trays and cull wilted before opening.
- Pursuing Plant Credits
- Photograph and submit credit requests within 24 hours for DOA, pest-infested, or mis-shipped plants via vendor portals.
- Track credit aging; follow up weekly until posted; reconcile monthly statements.
- Reduce shrink credits 20% YoY through better receiving protocols and vendor scorecards.
- Monitoring Exceptional Service
- Walk the garden center every 30 min; greet customers, offer carry-out, loading, or plant care advice.
- Train staff on exceptional service scripts: "Let me wheel this tree to your car."
- Monitor Ace Rewards attachments, clinic sign-ups, and 5-star Google reviews; recognize top service associates weekly.
- All other duties as assigned by management.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Education
- High school diploma or GED; Horticulture certificate or Master Gardener a plus.
- Experience
- 2+ years live goods purchasing/receiving in garden center or nursery; merchandising and credit processing required.
- Skills & Abilities
- Purchasing precision-orders enough to grow sales, but not too much that is lost to waste
- RF/Mango mastery-closes 100 live counts before lunch, exports shrink dashboard in <2 min.
- Merchandising artistry-turns empty tables into $10K color bowl sales in one weekend.
- Credit tenacity-recovers 95% of eligible DOA credits within 30 days.
- Service obsession-spots wilted leaf or confused customer from 50 ft.
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Physical Requirements
- Lift/carry up to 50 lbs repeatedly (flats of annuals, 5-gal shrubs, bagged soil).
- Stand/walk full shift outdoors; bend, kneel, reach overhead; work in heat, cold, rain, sun, pollen.
- Push/pull rolling plant racks (500+ lbs) across gravel.
- Other
- Valid driver's license (nursery pickups, jobsite consults).
- Early spring/summer flexible availability.
- Passion for plant health, pollinator habitats, and zero-waste credits.