Buyer - Bed & Bath - FTC London, England
Job description
Our Role
The Buyer – Home will have responsibility for our Bed & Bath Collections. Outstanding expertise within the Homeware markets is a must. Proven ability to source and develop a commercial, comprehensive, and innovative product range which ensures that profit objectives are met. To be able to work within the brand guidelines developing product which is appropriate to the TWC lifestyle and a step ahead of our competitors. Excellent stakeholder management skills representing the brand and home collections both inside and outside the business. Deliver and drive a robust, well balanced supply chain solution which adequately protects business risk. Leads a creative and successful team nurturing and developing talent.
What you’ll be doing
Product Development
- To build a balanced, commercial, and sufficiently innovative product range suitable for the needs of all business channels.
- To source new products and negotiate prices to achieve and exceed margin targets where possible.
- To produce initial ideas and strategy packs for new season development meetings.
- To review historical performance and determine future product strategy, working closely with the Merchandiser.
- To plan mail order, internet, and retail requirements, to propose both pagination planning and retail ranging.
- To propose new and innovative ideas for product development, working closely with design to pull together new season product briefs for sign off.
- To attend UK and International trade shows to source new suppliers and products, to keep abreast of market trends.
- To plan pricing and sourcing strategy to ensure margin targets are met.
- To ensure that all product and supplier information is correctly maintained on the system and up to date to support departmental deadlines, to challenge thoroughly cost assumptions, to spot
- To clearly identify sampling required, providing commercial management and timely feedback to suppliers.
- To approve bulk fabric, yarns, packaging, and all components to meet critical path dates.
- To propose the key assumptions behind the critical path to ensure all critical dates are achieved, to ensure the buying team actively progress manage, and that risk is well managed.
- To work closely with the QA department, to specifically ensure that all sealing stages are running to critical path requirements.
Supplier Management
- In collaboration with the QA team to ensure that suppliers deliver on their commitment to quality and ethical standards and work efficiently within our processes.
- To propose changes to supply base as necessary to protect the business.
- To conduct well planned sourcing and buying trips to meet the requirements of the critical path.
- To ensure that new season development is progressed efficiently and commercially. To manage the product brief process.
- To work with suppliers to ensure all sealers meet our quality, creative and commercial requirements.
- Manage the co-ordination and development of all products and necessary information to enable selection meetings to run efficiently and to ensure deadlines are met.
- Undertake regular supplier visits and review meetings, to keep on top of all relevant market developments and develop a strong partnership.
- To ensure that suppliers accept and adhere to our supplier manual and terms.
Commercial Awareness
- To undertake regular store visits - ideally at least every two months.
- To undertake competitor visits on a regular basis and regularly review market data, proposing strategic actions as a result.
- To have an excellent understanding of the target customer and emerging trends.
- To consistently deliver excellent standards of customer service, to be pro-active in seeking customer feedback from all business channels.
- To have a thorough understanding of the weekly pack and sales by line reports, in order to direct trading actions, repeats and markdowns with the Merchandiser and to identify new opportunities across all channels.
- To work closely with the Merchandiser to review line level performance and agree decisions on which lines to continue or discontinue.
- To present best and worst product at meetings with evaluation on performance and impact on future strategy.
- To review returns regularly with the QA team and ensure necessary action taken and lessons learnt.
- To work with the design and marketing team to support the product copy writing process to ensure features and benefits of products are sold.
- To have a strong working knowledge of all systems and use to support buying decisions as necessary.
- To play an active role in trading stores and web, to liaise closely with the visual teams on retail planning.
Management, Training and Development
- To adopt a positive and proactive approach to training and development, to participate fully in all team related activities. To work closely with other Buying and Merchandising teams to identify best practise.
- To ensure that stores, web team and call centre receive product communication and training as necessary; challenge opportunities to improve sales performance.
- To continually review processes and controls, initiating improvements in best practise as necessary.
- To assist in the development and training of the Buying team.
- To manage the team on a day-to-day basis.
The skills & experience you'll need
- Systems knowledge
- Design/creative/textile background preferable
- Previous experience leading and managing a buying team
- Excellent creative and commercial ability; an eye for product and brand
- Strong negotiation skills.
- 5 years’ experience minimum in a head office Buying environment.
What we’ll offer you
At The White Company, we value our employees for always going the extra mile for every one of our customers; we reward this with great benefits and competitive salaries.
- Discount -Up to 50% discount (dependent on contract type)
- Holiday – 25 days pro rata
- Holiday Buy – opportunity to buy up to an additional 5 days holiday
- Bonus Potential - In addition to our competitive salaries, all our permanent employees are entitled to join a discretionary bonus scheme. (dependent on contract type)
- Perkplace Benefits Platform – offering a variety of discounts across wellbeing and lifestyle
- Wagestream Money Management app - access to Wagestream gives you power over your pay and supports financial wellbeing
- Continued Development – we offer structured support from our own in house Learning and Development Hub
- Pension Scheme
- Life Assurance
- Private Medical
Additional Benefits
- Fruit basket daily
- Tea and coffee provided
- Working from Home - option to work from home on Mondays and Fridays
- Social - Christmas party/social events throughout the year
- Seasonal Sample Sales
- Volunteer Day - with a charity of your choice
- Great Location - Close to transport links - over ground Shepherds Bush station /underground White City & Wood Lane stations. Westfield shopping centre with shops restaurants/bars/cinema and gym
Our Equality Diversity and Inclusion statement of commitment
At The White Company we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that welcomes and celebrates a diversity of backgrounds and identities.
We are working together to ensure our environment is one where people can bring their authentic selves to work, where their contribution is valued, ability enhanced, and perspective appreciated. Where difference is respected, encouraged, and celebrated. Where you can feel you belong.
We are committed to an active Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which starts with our recruitment and selection process.
We'd love you to join us on our journey.
