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.
鈥淚 used to tell my mom every time we鈥檇 walk into T.J.Maxx or Marshalls, 鈥業鈥檓 going to buy for them.鈥� I really wanted to be a buyer,鈥� 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 senior聽business administration聽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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really exciting to go into the stores and see everything set up and be able to say, 鈥業 shipped that!鈥欌�� Buonodono said during a break at the company鈥檚 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. 鈥淚 love that you can feel the product and see what you鈥檙e shipping. It鈥檚 very tangible. It鈥檚 just a really cool feeling.鈥�
As an allocation analyst, Buonodono was responsible for 鈥渕oderate brands鈥� 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.聽
鈥淏eing able to work with the buyers as closely as I do is incredible, since this is what I want to do,鈥� says Buonodono, who admittedly didn鈥檛 know much about handbags coming into the position. 鈥淗onestly, I didn鈥檛 even know what a satchel was.鈥澛�
But before she knew it, Buonodono was part of a team that was shipping up to $23 million in handbags to stores each week.聽聽
鈥淚t can be nerve-racking with the amount of money that鈥檚 at stake, but I鈥檝e had so much training here that I鈥檓 so grateful for,鈥� 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 2017聽mechanical engineering聽alum, is the first UMass Lowell student to land a co-op at TJX through the university鈥檚聽Professional Cooperative Education.
She says the聽marketing聽and data analytics courses she took in the聽Manning School of Business聽gave her a good foundation for the job, which has required 鈥渁ttention to detail, analyzing data, working in the gray and taking risks.鈥�
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.
鈥淚 loved learning about negotiating and helping her make buys,鈥� says Buonodono, who discovered she had a knack for haggling. 鈥淚鈥檇 say, 鈥榊ou can get a better deal. Let me negotiate.鈥� It鈥檚 fun.鈥�
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 her聽business聽degree (with a concentration in聽marketing).听
鈥淢y co-op has been an amazing experience. I don鈥檛 want to leave,鈥� Buonodono says.
Turns out, she doesn鈥檛 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.