Buying Trainee (Emiratisation)

Role Overview

Buying Trainee (Emiratisation) at Chalhoub Group, working with the Lacoste brand in the United Arab Emirates.

Company Overview

Chalhoub Group is a luxury retail hybrid operator with over seven decades of presence in the Middle East. The Group manages a portfolio of over 10 owned brands and distributes over 400 international names across luxury fashion, beauty, jewellery, watches, eyewear, and art de vivre. It operates more than 950 stores, online platforms, and mobile apps across eight countries in the Middle East and has a presence in Latin America. The Group employs over 16,000 professionals and houses The Greenhouse, an innovation hub, incubator, and accelerator for startups and emerging businesses regionally and globally. Chalhoub Group is committed to sustainability, is a member of the United Nations Global Compact, a signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles, and has pledged to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Role Purpose

This traineeship provides hands-on exposure to the full buying cycle, combining creative fashion perspective with analytical and operational retail expertise. You will learn how products are selected, collections are built, stock is tracked, and market insights influence future buying decisions while working closely with the Buying team.

Key Responsibilities

Product & Assortment Planning

• Maintain and update Buying Excel trackers, ensuring product and buying information remains accurate and organized.
• Support the development of seasonal assortment plans and presentations.
• Gain exposure to product selection and learn how previous purchasing decisions and performance influence future buys.
• Identify repeat-buy opportunities and support the team in understanding product needs.

Market & Trend Analysis

• Bring a fresh fashion perspective by sharing observations on products, competitors and emerging trends.
• Conduct online and in-store competitor research to identify trends, customer preferences and potential product opportunities.
• Participate in regular market visits to develop an understanding of how customer profiles and product preferences differ across locations.

Supply Chain & Operations

• Work closely with Supply Chain to monitor stock deliveries and help ensure products reach stores on time.
• Support additional stock and delivery follow-ups during key buying periods such as Fashion Week.

Commercial & Strategic Learning

• Gain exposure to important commercial moments including Ramadan, Back to School and Back to Work, learning how previous seasons inform future assortment and buying decisions.
• Develop an understanding of how Buying, Retail, Supply Chain and the brand work together to take a collection from selection through to the customer.

Qualifications & Experience

• UAE National with a Family Book.
• Background in Economics, Finance, Business Management, Analytics, or another relevant field.
• Previous Buying experience is not essential; willingness and ability to learn are more important.

Skills & Competencies

• Genuine interest in fashion and retail business operations, including researching competitors, stores, customer behavior and emerging fashion trends.
• Good Microsoft Excel skills and comfort working with structured data.
• Knowledge of Pivot Tables and VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP is an advantage, or willingness to learn them quickly.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proactive approach and confidence asking questions.
• Ability to balance creativity with analytical and commercial thinking.

Additional Information

• Chalhoub Group offers a competitive benefits package including health care, child education contribution, remote and flexible working policies, and exclusive employee discounts.
• The Group provides enriching experiences, learning and development opportunities, and exposure to different assignments within the role or through internal mobility.
• Assessments and interviews must be completed independently and without assistance from generative AI tools to ensure fair evaluation.
• Chalhoub Group is committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equal opportunities regardless of gender, age, race, religion, or ability.