Buyers Assistant - Toys - 6 Month FTC

Job Introduction

Selfridges has always been much more than a shop. We’re a social space where everyone is welcome and feels a sense of belonging, a creative playground where culture and commerce collide, and an experimental hub where you can discover the most innovative and sustainable ideas in retail. We’re here to help make the world brighter. And you can be an important part of this. We’ll talk more about the role below, but before we get to that, let’s share with you the good stuff…  

Rewards and benefits 

Life at Selfridges is dynamic, exciting, and always evolving. As well as working with some of the most cutting-edge, iconic and boundary-pushing brands, designers and creatives, we also offer our team members opportunities to help make a positive difference through our network of communities, both within and outside Selfridges. Here are just a few of our rewards and benefits that help make our team experience that bit more extraordinary. 

• Flexible working options to benefit you, your family and your wellbeing that can include part-time, flexi-time, job sharing or working remotely 

• Generous annual leave that increases with length of service 

• Up to five paid volunteering days – from beach cleans to co-ordinating food and clothing donations 

• Family leave that suits your set up including Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Surrogacy and Shared Parental leave policies 

• Defined pension contribution scheme  

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme  

• Enviable team member discount including sale previews and double discount days 

• Exclusive local discounts on a range of restaurants, bars, beauticians and entertainment 

• Subsidised gym memberships  

• Annual travel pass and cycle-to-work schemes  

• A sustainable car salary sacrifice scheme 

• Several internal communities to get involved in from our Diversity Board and Green Warriors who are leading the charge on D,E&I and sustainability, to the Wellbeings who are always thinking of new ways to champion healthy minds, bodies and routines for our team members 

• Workplace Options, our confidential team member assistance programme for when life gets tricky or you need a little guidance 

• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development 

Read on to find out how you can play your part in Reinventing Retail… 

Role Responsibility

As a Buyers Assistant, you will be responsible for an identified buying area for the business - Toys. You will support the Buyer in sourcing brands and product. 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 Admin team, as well as other parties including suppliers and shop floor teams where necessary.

As a Buyers Assistant you will:

• To liaise with suppliers regarding product availability, in particular for re-orders and to ensure that these are placed within OTBs
• To be responsible for chasing stock that has not been delivered according to the delivery schedule
• To carry out research for Buyers, including Comp Shops, regarding new brands/trends, and present back and feedback research information to Buying teams
• To put together look books/product packs for the Buyers and for communication to the rest of the business
• To work with the Buying Administrators to ensure that the Buyers worksheet is up to date and to provide assistance where information is incomplete
• To supervise the Buyers Administrator and monitor workload
• To be responsible for re-ordering within the OTB structure, ensuring decisions are communicated to the Administrator in good time *
• To chase press samples and images * N/B: in areas where there is a Buying Assistants and an Assistant Buyer, this responsibility will be shared
• Negotiate the best possible terms with suppliers i.e. margin, trade discounts, markdown support, working with the Buyer where appropriate
• To analyse performance, making recommendations to the Buyer/Head of Buying i.e. to keep or discontinue within the business, in line with our category strategy
• Communicate effectively with retail/online operations teams, particularly with regard to new season launches and product training
• Propose trading actions such as swaps, re-orders RTVs working within the seasonal buy, ensuring decisions are communicated to the administrator and buyer in good time.
• Be responsible for re-ordering, working within the seasonal buy, ensuring decisions are communicated to the Administrator good time *
• Carry out research into key existing and emerging trends by analysing market trends
• Where relevant, to supervise the Administrator and monitor workload

The Ideal Candidate

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

About the Company

Everyone is welcome 

Selfridges is a place where we want everyone to feel a sense of belonging. We embrace every self and are committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive working culture. We are leading with purpose to not only increase the visibility and recognition of under-represented talent within our organisation, but the wider industry too. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome – irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all.   

Our awards cabinet  

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. We were also recognised as a ‘Best 25 Big Company to Work For 2020’ as awarded by The Sunday Times. 

Selfridges