Senior Buyer

About the role

Plan and select the range, type, quality and quantity of merchandise according to customer demand, trends, store policies and set prices and sell‑through targets in conjunction with the Brand Manager/GM to ensure alignment with the budget. The Senior Buyer will drive seasonal strategies, manage open‑to‑buy (OTB), negotiate with suppliers and oversee product selection to achieve gross‑margin goals.

Key responsibilities

• Drive seasonal strategies in line with brand positioning to formulate a Gross Margin Plan.
• Develop a fine‑tuned assortment and investment plan.
• Create and execute a sourcing development plan to deliver on time.
• Negotiate with new suppliers on pricing, payment terms, freight costs, training, and advertising involvement, and place purchase orders.
• Manage OTB in tandem with the planning counterpart.
• Deliver the seasonal business strategy by monitoring the critical path, range building and product selection.
• Prepare and manage the buying calendar.
• Formulate seasonal product focus plans with Marketing and Visual Merchandising.
• Conduct customer focus groups and competitive shopping.
• Analyse weekly sales performance at style, range, category and business‑unit level and take in‑season actions.
• Manage Time‑Need‑Analysis (TNA) plans.
• Perform regular competitor surveys to identify product gaps and influence range plans.
• Manage range and product hierarchy and create the seasonal phasing plan.
• Own “The Look” for the season, influencing product selection and in‑store visual merchandising.
• Stay abreast of market trends and competitor activities.
• Manage product training for staff, delivering regular trend training sessions.
• Review buying feedback reports and advise the General Manager on buying strategy.