Buyer/ Category Merchandiser

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JOB DESCRIPTION / ROLE

Employment: Full Time

Are you looking for your next challenge? Our client is an international brand and is currently looking for a BUYER to join its team!

A regional buyer’s role includes managing OTB deployed by business unit, product selection, ensuring point of sales are filled commercially and the brand image is well executed. These key points are reflected from pre-buying stage to the post buying stage and are monitored throughout the season.

The role also includes key responsibilities in areas of stock covers, mark downs, and reconducted/permanent.

Accountabilities:
• Ensure conformity of catalog management and Assortment planning
• Prepare seasonal optimal assortment plan by category for each type of store, following brand’s guidelines and instruct local merchandise team accordingly
• Ensure that assortment in stores is respected by performing regular visits in countries during season and that corrective actions are taken if needed
• Ensure that shop floor employees understand the assortment of the new season during the post-buying debrief by explaining the placement for the core assortment the best sellers, the range, mood board and seasonal colour per calendar for each store

Main KPIs:
• Stock ageing (yearly average vs. target) by category
• Stock cover by category (actual vs. target
• Review of assortment of visible stock (actual vs brand’s guidelines)
• Provide insights for store Purchase budget
• Provide insights on sell-thru targets by categories to reflect the potential of categories in the region
• Provide insights on sell-thru targets by stores to reflect the potential of stores
• Representing the brand in its respective categories according to the merchandising plan for the given market
• Make an end-to-end calendar for the buying season (pre-buying, buying and post-buying) to mobilize the merchandise teams (regional buyer, regional and local analysts) and commercial teams (RSM, area and store managers) and clarify the deliverables, the meetings and the timeline
• Ensure that the local merchandise team receive templates for pre-buying in time and provide them with precise explanations on segmentation and categories , enabling proposing appropriate requests to the brand
• Ensure that the commercial teams receive all information from the supplier available before buying (season key looks and items, must-have per stores for brand image, limited editions and one-shot productions, split by categories for the season core assortment)
• Ensure agreement with commercial team (RSM, area managers, store managers) during/after pre-buying sessions on a store by store parameters (depth of season core assortment, depth of must have and seasonal, share of atypical items) and alignment on cross selling ratios per categories (tie to shirt, socks to shoes, belts to pants, etc) as well as color split by size, size breakdown and average retail

Buying:
• Ensure that store by store orders are done according to budget ratios by category and recommendations of commercial teams during pre-buying sessions
• Ensure risk mitigation on atypical items
• Ensure that all relevant documentation from supplier (collection book, merchandising book, etc…) is collected and shared with the shop floor through RSM
• Ensure that commercial teams (RSM, area manages, store managers) are immediately informed of the buying outcome by sending a summary of the buying with mandatory information such as categories bought vs forecast (quantities, values, share of brand) , justifications of deviations above 5% thresholds and illustration of collection
• Validate product cancellations/substitutions proposed by supplier vs order placed

Post Buying:

Ensure that selling season is well prepared by performing a post-buying session in each country involving the local merchandise team and the commercial team (RSM, area managers, store managers) with:
• a summary of purchase made vs. budget by category and store
• set up calendar of items exiting shop floor
• a thorough explanation of the spirit of the collection and points of focus
• an overview of the merchandise guidelines to support the sales
• recommended line targets to push categories and products from the very beginning of the season

• Ensure that the brand strategy for the season is well understood by RSM and regional marketing team by organizing a debrief of the season with a particular focus on brand strategy, new product categories, target groups of customers, core products for brand image and major countries targeted
• Provide support for Replenishment reordering
• Support regional merchandise manager in decisions on reordering
• Provide insights on parameters for replenishment of basics to respect assortment planning in stores
• Support in Inventory management
• Support regional merchandise manager in decisions regarding transfers
• Monitor levels of stock coverage across the region and provide analyses
• Monitor levels of stock ageing across the region and provide analyses
• If needed, make suggestions for regional store to store transfers
• During visits to check assortment in stores, provide instructions to local Merchandise team in order to submit immediate re-balancing to Regional merchandise manager if needed.

REQUIREMENTS

• Office-based work experience is essential.
• Background within one of the major high street retailers may help to demonstrate both an interest in retailing and an understanding of stock control levels.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills to work out budgets and understand sales figures.
• Ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment and to quickly identify problems and recommend solutions.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Robert Walters is one of the world's largest specialist professional recruitment consultancies with 53 offices spanning 24 countries.

We've helped thousands of professionals find permanent, contract and interim roles with leading global corporations, small to medium sized companies and innovative start ups. Our specialist recruitment focus includes: accountancy and finance, banking, engineering, operations, legal, IT, sales, marketing, procurement & logistics, HR and support/administration.

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