Merchandising Internship

JOIN THE BEST TEAM IN SPORT & SPIRIT

At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.

The internship will be organized into focused sprint-based learning experiences. Each sprint is designed to provide exposure to a key area of the business and includes practical deliverables that support learning, reflection, and business application.

Sprint 1: Merchandising / Buying

Proposed Timing: May 18–21, 2026

The intern will be introduced to Varsity Brands, merchandising fundamentals, buying processes, product flow, and planning concepts.

Learning Experiences May Include:

• Onboarding and orientation

• Review of summer schedule and personal goals

• Shadowing buying assistant responsibilities

• Learning how buys are planned and tracked

• Observing how teams analyze sales and inventory

• Attending or observing line reviews or product meetings

• Researching current brand and product trends

• Learning how planning and allocation support merchandising decisions

• Reviewing weekly sales reports and product flow processes

Potential Deliverables:

• Curated questions and key takeaways from onboarding and business meetings

• Product category or trend analysis

• Summary of how planning supports buying decisions

Sprint 2: Design Essentials

Proposed Timing: June 15–18, 2026

The intern will gain exposure to design workflow, sample development, pattern and fitting processes, product development, and the connection between design decisions and production.

Learning Experiences May Include:

• Understanding design calendars and sample timelines

• Reviewing brand aesthetic guidelines

• Observing fittings, pattern adjustments, and sample reviews

• Learning basic terminology related to samples, patterns, and production

• Understanding how design hands off to product development and production teams

• Reviewing design documentation and tech pack processes

• Observing how samples support photo, creative, and marketing teams

• Attending or observing a photoshoot, where possible

Potential Deliverables:

• Notes on design workflow

• Reflection on how design decisions impact production

• Tech pack-related assignment or review

• Summary of how creative storytelling supports product execution

Sprint 3: Go-to-Market / Branding / Marketing

Proposed Timing: July 13–16, 2026

The intern will learn how merchandising and product decisions connect to brand marketing, digital content, consumer insights, and customer-facing storytelling.

Learning Experiences May Include:

• Learning how brand campaigns are built

• Reviewing brand voice, positioning, and product storytelling

• Observing content planning and social or digital analytics

• Understanding how customer data informs product and marketing decisions

• Reviewing consumer insights and their connection to merchandising strategy

• Learning about licensing, partnerships, and brand collaborations

Potential Deliverables:

• Notes on brand voice and positioning

• Draft sample social post, campaign concept, or content idea

• Consumer insights analysis

• Short write-up on a potential partnership or licensing idea

Optional Sprint 4: Licensing / Strategy

Proposed Timing: August 3–6, 2026

Depending on program needs and availability, the internship may include an optional fourth sprint focused on licensing, strategy, partnerships, and final project preparation.

Learning Experiences May Include:

• Understanding how licensing and strategy support overall brand direction

• Observing how strategic decisions and partnership evaluations are made

• Learning how strategy connects across teams and supports shared goals

• Integrating observations from prior sprints into the final reflection project

Potential Deliverables:

• Written summary connecting licensing strategy to brand positioning

• Final set of notes to support the reflection project and presentation

• Final presentation preparation

Final Project and Presentation

At the conclusion of the internship, the intern will complete a final reflection project and presentation. The final deliverable should summarize the intern’s learning outcomes, key business observations, personal impact of the program, and practical recommendations or feedback based on the experience.

Final Deliverable Timing: No later than August 7, 2026, based on the proposed summer schedule.

The final presentation may include:

• Key learnings from merchandising, buying, design, marketing, and supply chain exposure

• Observations about how cross-functional teams work together

• Reflection on tools, systems, and processes used by the business

• Summary of assigned sprint deliverables

• Personal career insights or areas of continued interest

• Constructive feedback or recommendations for the team

Learning Priorities

The internship will provide exposure to both business fundamentals and functional concepts, including:

• Assortment planning

• Buying and merchandising processes

• Sales and inventory analysis

• Product flow and planning support

• Trend research

• Consumer insights

• Design calendars and sample timelines

• Pattern and sample review processes

• Product development handoffs

• Design documentation and tech packs

• Brand marketing and creative storytelling

• Licensing and partnership strategy

• Supply chain and operations implications

The intern may also gain exposure to tools and resources such as assortment planning systems, sales reporting dashboards, and design documentation.

Qualifications

• Current student or recent graduate pursuing a degree in merchandising, fashion merchandising, supply chain, business, design, retail management, product development, marketing, or a related field.

• Interest in merchandising, apparel, product development, design, supply chain, brand marketing, or cross-functional business operations.

• Strong curiosity and desire to learn through hands-on experiences.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to take notes, ask thoughtful questions, and summarize key takeaways.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with cross-functional partners.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.

• Comfortable participating in meetings, shadowing team members, and presenting learnings.

• Prior experience in retail, merchandising, fashion, design, supply chain, marketing, or analytics is helpful but not required.

Preferred Skills

• Basic understanding of apparel, product assortments, merchandising, or retail concepts.

• Interest in product lifecycle management, design, trend research, consumer insights, or brand storytelling.

• Ability to analyze information and translate observations into clear summaries.

• Comfort working in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

• Positive attitude, proactive communication style, and willingness to jump into new learning experiences.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the internship, the intern should have:

• A practical understanding of how merchandising connects to design, planning, supply chain, marketing, and business strategy.

• Exposure to real Varsity Brands workflows, meetings, tools, and decision-making processes.

• Experience completing sprint-based deliverables tied to business learning objectives.

• Greater clarity around potential career paths in merchandising, buying, design, product development, marketing, licensing, or supply chain.

• Experience presenting insights and reflections to business partners.

• A stronger understanding of how product decisions move from concept to customer.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.

OUR VALUES

Service - We lead with heart. We champion community.

Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose.

Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions.

Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it.

Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community.

Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.

OUR BENEFITS

We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:

• Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
• HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
• Wellbeing Program
• 401(k) plan with company matching
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
• Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
• Varsity Brands Ownership Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
• Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.