What is the focus of an Assistant Buyer in the merchandising process?

The focus of an Assistant Buyer in the merchandising process is to support the buyer in various administrative tasks. This role typically involves assisting with tasks such as tracking inventory levels, analyzing sales data, and helping to prepare purchase orders. By managing these responsibilities, the Assistant Buyer enables the lead buyer to focus on strategic decisions and high-level purchasing without getting bogged down in routine administrative work. This support is crucial for maintaining an efficient buying process, allowing the store or company to stay responsive to market demands and customer preferences.

The other options reflect responsibilities that may be more aligned with different roles within retail. For example, making high-level purchasing decisions is primarily the responsibility of the buyer, while laying out store shelving plans falls under visual merchandising. Creating product marketing presentations often involves collaboration with marketing teams rather than the buying department specifically. Thus, the Assistant Buyer's role is essential for the back-end support that keeps the buying process running smoothly.