Buyer

Role Overview

Buyer at Apparel Group. The role is responsible for planning and selecting merchandise range, type, quality and quantity according to customer demand, trends, store policies, pricing and sell-through targets in conjunction with the Brand Manager/GM to ensure alignment with budget.

Role Purpose

Plan seasonal buying strategies, manage supplier relationships, and drive merchandise assortment and investment decisions to achieve gross margin, profitability and sales targets while maintaining alignment with brand positioning and store policies.

Key Responsibilities

Business Strategy

• Drive seasonal strategies in line with brand positioning to formulate Gross Margin Plan.
• Develop a fine-tuned assortment and investment plan.
• Create the sourcing development plan and action the critical path to deliver timely.
• Negotiate with new suppliers on product pricing, payment terms, cost of freight, provision of training, and the extent of their involvement in advertising and promotions to decide on placing a purchase order.
• Manage Open-to-Buy (OTB) in tandem with the planning counterpart.
• Deliver seasonal business strategy by monitoring and impacting critical path, range building and product selection.
• Prepare and manage the buying calendar.
• Formulate seasonal product focus plan with Marketing and Visual Merchandising to drive key product initiatives.
• Focus on holding current business and build new categories.
• Conduct customer focus groups and competitive shopping.

Supplier Management

• Maintain profitable relationships with existing suppliers.
• Monitor adherence to contract terms.

Performance and Operations

• Analyze and report weekly sales performance at style, range, category and business unit level against range plan.
• Take in-season action to revise production flows and maximize sales.
• Manage TNA (Total New Assortment) plans.
• Implement the buying calendar for timely seasonal analysis and range build.
• Perform regular competitor surveys to identify product gaps, influence lessons learnt and range plans.
• Manage range and product hierarchy and create the seasonal phasing plan.
• Assume responsibility for the seasonal visual identity and look.
• Influence product selection, in-store visual merchandising as per guidelines and layout planning.
• Keep abreast of market trends and awareness of competitor activities.
• Manage product training of staff to ensure up-to-date knowledge.
• Prepare regular trends training and deliver to business units.
• Review buying feedback reports and provide recommendations to General Manager as to buying strategy for a respective brand/collection.
• Carry out buying activities in-line with the brand buying plans.