When most people go shopping, they look for things to buy for themselves. When Hayley Buonodono goes shopping, she looks for things to buy for the store.
āI used to tell my mom every time weād walk into T.J.Maxx or Marshalls, āIām going to buy for them.ā I really wanted to be a buyer,ā says Buonodono, who has known since middle school that she wants to be the one who identifies trends and haggles with suppliers to purchase the products that retailers sell to consumers.
The seniorĀ business administrationĀ major from Amesbury took a giant step toward her dream job when she was hired as a merchandising co-op for TJX, the parent company of retail chains such as T.J.Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods.
āItās really exciting to go into the stores and see everything set up and be able to say, āI shipped that!āā Buonodono said during a break at the companyās sprawling corporate office complex in Framingham, where she was just weeks away from completing her six-month co-op position in the planning and allocation department. āI love that you can feel the product and see what youāre shipping. Itās very tangible. Itās just a really cool feeling.ā
As an allocation analyst, Buonodono was responsible for āmoderate brandsā of handbags sold in more than 1,200 T.J.Maxx stores across the country. By analyzing data and identifying trends, Buonodono advised buyers and created shipping strategies to maximize sales.Ā
āBeing able to work with the buyers as closely as I do is incredible, since this is what I want to do,ā says Buonodono, who admittedly didnāt know much about handbags coming into the position. āHonestly, I didnāt even know what a satchel was.āĀ
But before she knew it, Buonodono was part of a team that was shipping up to $23 million in handbags to stores each week.Ā Ā
āIt can be nerve-racking with the amount of money thatās at stake, but Iāve had so much training here that Iām so grateful for,ā says Buonodono, who spent her first month shadowing employees before taking part in five weeks of on-the-job training.
Buonodono, whose brother Tim is a 2017Ā mechanical engineeringĀ alum, is the first ŠÓ°É“«Ć½ student to land a co-op at TJX through the universityāsĀ Professional Cooperative Education.
She says theĀ marketingĀ and data analytics courses she took in theĀ Manning School of BusinessĀ gave her a good foundation for the job, which has required āattention to detail, analyzing data, working in the gray and taking risks.ā
How did Buonodono know at such a young age that she wanted to be a buyer? Her mom Jaylene owns Trendsetters Boutique in Amesbury, which sells new and consigned clothing and accessories. When Buonodono was in high school, she started attending trade shows with her mom.
āI loved learning about negotiating and helping her make buys,ā says Buonodono, who discovered she had a knack for haggling. āIād say, āYou can get a better deal. Let me negotiate.ā Itās fun.ā
That early introduction to the business, combined with part-time retail jobs and her co-op at TJX, has Buonodono positioned for big things once she completes herĀ businessĀ degree (with a concentration inĀ marketing).Ģż
āMy co-op has been an amazing experience. I donāt want to leave,ā Buonodono says.
Turns out, she doesnāt have to leave. At the end of her co-op, Buonodono was offered a full-time job at TJX. She planned to start in the fall while completing her degree.