Which commercial question interests you?
Target's Associate Buyer program description names assortment analysis and vendor relationships. That describes the kind of work, not the availability of a specific opening.
| Work | Question | Possible analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Buying | Which backpacks should we stock, and how many? | Cost, expected demand, returns, supplier terms and leftover inventory |
| Ecommerce merchandising | Can customers find a backpack that meets their needs? | Category filters, laptop-compartment dimensions and variant information |
For each internship, ask whether you would recommend a purchase, analyze a category, maintain product information or improve online discovery. The title alone does not separate those assignments.
Sources[1]
Review information a customer needs, not just the page's appearance
For a public backpack category, check whether each product gives dimensions, laptop fit, material, pocket layout and delivery details. Verify that filters match the listed products and that information applies to the selected variant.
Propose a specific change such as adding the laptop-compartment dimensions. Explain the question it answers. Without access to a real test, call it a recommendation; do not claim that the page caused returns or that your revision improved conversion.
Example: 120 sales do not mean 120 units stayed sold
A fictional product begins with 200 units, receives no replenishment and sells 120 at $50 each. Twelve are fully refunded and returned to saleable stock. Each unit costs $25. Ignore tax, shipping, payment fees and damaged returns.
The net unit reconciliation is 200 − 120 + 12 = 92 remaining. Net revenue is 108 × $50 = $5,400, and product cost for the net units sold is $2,700. Simplified gross profit is therefore $2,700.
Under this exercise's definition, net sell-through is 108 / 200 = 54%. A gross-sales version is 120 / 200 = 60%. Do not silently mix those rates. Shopify's report uses its own quantity-sold and ending-inventory definition, including specific treatment of returns and adjustments; check the actual report before comparing it with this exercise.
Sources[2]
A markdown decision depends on what happens to the unsold units
Suppose 60 of the remaining 92 units would sell at $50. They produce $1,500 of product gross profit: 60 × ($50 − $25). At a $40 price, each unit produces $15, so matching $1,500 requires 100 units. Only 92 are available.
That alone does not settle the decision. Assume instead that all 92 units would sell at $40, while any stock left at the end of the same selling period becomes worthless. Keeping $50 produces $3,000 cash and leaves 32 units worth nothing. Marking down produces $3,680 cash and no leftovers. With the original inventory purchase cost already incurred in both options, the markdown is $680 better before any differing selling costs.
The two calculations answer different questions: gross profit on units sold versus the result after accounting for all remaining stock. For a real recommendation, estimate sales at each price, the value of leftovers and any added costs. A larger sales forecast is an assumption to test, not a benefit you can simply insert.
Make the work sample match the role
For ecommerce merchandising, submit a focused category review with the missing information, proposed correction and a test you would run. For buying, use a unit reconciliation and a purchase or markdown comparison that includes leftover stock.
Ask the manager what data interns can analyze, whether they observe vendor discussions and who reviews their recommendations. A public-page critique and a fictional financial case are valid preparation when labeled accurately; they are not evidence that you managed a retailer's sales.