Assistant Buyer (FTC) - Womenswear Body Studio and Mens Body & Active

Job Introduction

As an Assistant Buyer, you will be responsible for an identified areas of the business, supporting the Buyer in building brand relationships, orders and in season trading. You will work with the Buyer to negotiate the best terms for the business with suppliers. To ensure the ordering process is efficient and compliant with Selfridges processes and to assist the Buying Admin team where necessary. 

Some of the brand you'll be working with include: Skims/Gymshark/Adanola

As Assistant Buyer, you will:

•Be responsible in supporting buying own brought Designer Flagships across menswear and womenswear – ensuring thorough knowledge of product and market. 

•Negotiate the best possible terms with suppliers i.e. margin, trade discounts, markdown support, working with the Buyer and Head of Buying where appropriate

•Work with the Buyer and Head of Buying to ensure that Buying decisions are based on a sound commercial framework to drive sales and profit

•Work closely with the Buyer and Merchandiser to plan the OTB for own area of responsibility and to monitor and review in season, making recommendations to the Buyer/Head of Buying where necessary.

•Assist with range planning, buying appointments and order writing / quantifying working closely with the Merchandiser and Buyer/Head of Buying 

•Work with the Merchandiser to analyse performance, making recommendations to the Buyer i.e performance vs plan, category performance, reorder / swap opportunities.  

•Communicate effectively with retail operations teams, weekly floor walks, delivery and launch updates, new season presentations. 

•Work closely with Marketing and PR and to be aware of promotional opportunities during negotiations with suppliers.

•Carry out research into key trends and pull together new season product pack and trend highlights. 

•Where relevant, to supervise the wider team and monitor workload.

•Work closely with VM to ensure product placement optimises the look and performance of the department.

•Manage the performance of brands through regular meeting with the brands and through analysis of their performance – making recommendations to both sides to action to support trade. 

•* N/B: in areas where there is a Buyer’s Assistant and an Assistant Buyer, this responsibility will be shared

How you’ll do it…you will be

•Already established in an Assistant Buyer role. 

•Highly knowledgeable. You will have a well-developed understanding of the product/market. 

•Strategic and operational. With strong analytical skills and experience driving long-term and profitable commercial strategies, you’ll be able to successfully manage deadlines and projects through to completion. 

•Engaging. Able to influence your stakeholders, retail and brands, you know how to use both data and market trends to drive commercial opportunities 

•Customer focused. Combined with exceptional taste and instinct, you are able to push the boundaries to offer new and exciting product

•All over the numbers. You are numerate with a highly commercial approach, as well as proficient in excel

•Collaborative. Working flexibly as part of the wider Buying team you will support in projects and cross functional meetings as appropriate

•Organised with attention to detail

•Excellent interpersonal skills

•Ability to influence

•An example of our values, a trusted and respected colleague

Selfridges