Junior Buyer – Beauty (Digital)

Role Overview

Junior Buyer – Beauty (Digital) at Al Tayer Group, Dubai, UAE.

Company Overview

Al Tayer Group is a leader in luxury retail in the Middle East. Al Tayer Insignia, the retail division, operates a portfolio of world-class luxury brands in fashion, jewellery, home and department store categories, complemented by lifestyle retail positions in Beauty, Home, Fashion and Hospitality sectors. Brands represented include Bloomingdales, Harvey Nichols and Armani.

Role Purpose

To plan projects and identify product requirements for digital channels, purchasing quantities that meet demand, maximize profits and provide commercially viable product ranges. Support the digital team with accurate product data and serve as the liaison between internal stakeholders and external brands to ensure alignment with requirements and drive technical initiatives that improve online conversion.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Market Analysis

• Support the formulation and execution of the digital buying department's strategy to ensure best-in-market results.
• Analyze market trends, consumer preferences, sell-through data and seasonal demands to formulate digital buying practices aligned with consumer and online demands.
• Keep abreast of market trends and awareness of competitor activities in both digital-only and omni-channel environments.
• Review buying feedback reports and monitor sales performance weekly against set targets, providing recommendations to the Senior Digital Buyer and brands on buying strategy.

Brand & Stakeholder Relationships

• Build strong, mutually beneficial brand and digital team relationships.
• Drive conversations with brands to participate in digital initiatives, such as VTO/Skin analysis and Power reviews, supporting them with information and required data.
• Support contract negotiations to ensure optimum commercial terms are agreed for the business.
• Build awareness of the Bloomingdales beauty box loyalty and rewards programs with brands, sharing regular performance updates and forecasts, and urging participation and SKU provision for boxes.

Planning & Calendar Management

• Drive the online exposure calendar in line with consumer needs and key brand launches.
• Support and suggest promotional calendar based on consumer trends, key market launches, revenue performance, stock on hand, and digital and brand opportunities.
• Coordinate GWPs for online, ensuring items are created and stock is in place before campaign launch.
• Support PR and Marketing teams by guiding and validating product selection for planned brand campaigns.

Buying & Vendor Management

• Identify brands that will add value to online platforms and support the Digital Buyer with negotiations and brand launches.
• Monitor stock levels online and coordinate with the planning team to maintain optimal stock levels in line with consumer demand.
• Support promotional activities online, ensuring merchandise is available in the correct quantities and timeframes.
• Monitor stock levels and negotiate stock returns, swaps and RTVs when required.

Reporting & Analysis

• Receive and analyze reports on activities, providing recommendations to the Senior Digital Buyer when required.
• Prepare periodic reports for the business and as requested by principals, analyzing sale turnover and consumer trends by product to propose stock maintenance, liquidation, disposal or product line continuation/discontinuation in conjunction with Planning.

People & Team Support

• Display leadership to more junior peers despite the role not being a management position.
• Delegate to, train and support junior team members.
• Provide feedback to managers and support development opportunities when required.

Qualifications & Experience

• University degree in any discipline is preferred but not essential.
• Minimum 3–5 years' experience in beauty buying or retailing.

Skills & Competencies

• Beauty industry knowledge.
• Interest and passion in ecommerce.
• Strong negotiation and project management skills.
• Competent in data analysis.
• Relationship building and management with internal and external stakeholders, brands and principals.
• Intermediate to Advanced Excel skills.
• Strong planning, financial, communication and interpersonal skills.
• English essential; Arabic optional.

Additional Information

• Keen to travel and develop a network of professional and business relationships.