Buyer

Job description / Role

The job holder will be responsible for creating & implementing buying and product strategy and tactical plans for assigned department(s) by ensuring that the department(s) purchase reflects the retail trends at best commercial value, thereby ensuring delivery of sales and profit targets for the department. The job holder will also be responsible for ensuring smooth buying operations through effective product planning, negotiation with suppliers, adequate stock management as well as effective team management for enabling the strategic goals of the department.

Key Responsibilities
Buying & Product development:
- Determines the buying requirements and formulates buying plan as per budget for Kids wear Category (Boys and Girls: Age 2-14 Years)
- Puts together monthly assortment guideline for the sourcing teams for procurement based on sales analysis and future trends and AP guidelines shared by planning team.
- Negotiates prices in line with the desired level of margins, price architecture, and ensures delivery timelines with sourcing teams
- Oversees and manages placement of orders based on the OTB plans and ensures merchandise is delivered as per the plan
- Tracks and evaluates brand/category sales performance, market sales trends and competitor trading activities to identify critical business factors and proposed action plans to increase category sales
- Consolidates and analyses actual sales data and forecast in-season sales on a weekly, basis to drive sales & buying decisions
- Identifies buying opportunities to source products and to ensure that business unit maintains its competitive edge
- Analyses market & competition for both benchmarking value, price & product and apply this knowledge to make insightful buying decisions
- Places re-orders as proposed by the merchandising team and communicate relevant information to the sourcing team
- Maintains high level of product knowledge, ensuring the product is procured within the acceptable standard norms of quality and fit
- Ensure the right representation of the category in terms of imagery & content ideas for the storefront
Vendor Management
- Develops an adequate vendor base in conjunction with Sourcing Teams for the concept through active scouting and negotiation / renegotiation
- Builds and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers and negotiate the best buy costs
- Works closely with sourcing teams to identify, evaluate, and select appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives
People Management
- Manages and monitors the day-to-day activities of the buying assistant
- Develops talent within the team by providing guidance, mentoring, and coaching to achieve

Must have:

Strong Product knowledge in related category/department
Strong trend and customer understanding
Advanced retail analytical skills
Strong sourcing and range building skills
Strong influencer and communicator with ability to interact within team and with multiple stakeholders across functions
Negotiation and vendor management skills
Innovative & critical thinking ability
Ability to adapt to change and strategic thinking
Ability to coach and guide team on goals, performance and growth

Desirable: Comfortable managing large number of options for different categories, relationship management with different levels in an organisation, complex decision making and problem solving

About the Company

Founded in 1973 in Bahrain, the Landmark Group has successfully grown into one of the largest and most successful retail organizations in the Middle East. An international, diversified retail conglomerate that encourages entrepreneurship to consistently deliver exceptional value, the Group operates over 900 stores encompassing a retail presence of over 13 million sq. ft. across Middle East, India, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and Pakistan (franchise operation). The Group employs around 31,000 employees.