Assistant Buyer
Dunnes Stores is Ireland’s largest retailer providing fashion, food and homewares for our loyal customers. We operate over 130 stores across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Spain, as well as a growing online store. Our guiding principle is to deliver good quality products at competitive prices and we are constantly developing our product offerings.
As an assistant buyer you will assist the buyer in developing and buying a commercial range of product which delivers maximum sales, margins and profitability. The Assistant Buyer has an astute commercial sense, is attentive to detail and strives to deliver exceptional quality product to the customer. They will assist in negotiating with supplier and manage the critical path to ensuring that a balanced range of product is available in store and Online.
Responsibilities:
- Work with the Buyer and Designer to identify current and future trends, colours and key items.
- Assist the buyer in building the range plan to deliver a commercially viable balanced product range at competitive prices, ensuring quality for each region & online appropriate for the varying seasonality and sales opportunities, including where appropriate Online only product ranges / selections.
- Analyse all aspects of sales performance in conjunction with buyer and merchandiser – product, colour, size, region, Online trading
- Work with Buyer & Online Merchandising team to ensure the right quantities and products are available for Online. Where required will action daily replenishment to ensure stock availability and will maintain the merchandising standards on the as400 for the product pages; i.e. YMAL, descriptions, fabric content etc. are accurate and desirable.
- Critical path management, ensuring that all critical dates are achieved in order to achieve on time delivery of goods.
- FITS – manage the fit schedule & execution – ensuring styling and fit details are in line with agreed contract with commercial tolerance and approve size grading’s in conjunction with the technical team. Any deviations to be flagged to buyer. Ensuring fit books are relayed in line with critical path to supply base.
- Making sure all safety elements are strictly adhered and test reports sourced and recorded accurately.
- Maintain & manage relationships with suppliers and regularly review their performance.
- Support negotiations and work with supply base to ensure best price and margin is achieved.
- Raise orders – ensuring accurate info in line with buyers’ direction, accurate packing info, shipping details and merchandising input on ratio.
- Proactively sourcing new product ideas through research (online, street style, competitors etc.) in line with the company sustainability policies
- Assist with the training and development of team members.
- A good understanding of your sections target customer and ability to analyse competitor’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Sourcing new suppliers with the buyer, and meeting / visiting current suppliers
- Interpersonal/ communication skills: Good communication is key to Assistant Buyers role, you will be comfortable working in a team and keep your buyer updated on a regular basis in relation to all aspects of their section. You will have continuous communication with suppliers and clear information shared between buying office and store / store operations.
- Visit stores on regular basis communicating relevant feedback. Recognise opportunities and key issues to raise as agreed with buyer, merchandiser, and Quality Control & Visual Merchandising teams.
- Participate in any other activities or carry out any other responsibilities that may be outside the general remit that will benefit the individual department or company as a whole.
Skills & Experience Required
- An experienced Buyer, with end-to-end experience within product development.
- Strong commercial awareness and strategically driven.
- Excellent communication & negotiation skills.
- Experienced with souring new suppliers, and proven ability of building strong relationships with suppliers.
- Experience with training and managing Buying Assistants/Buying Admins is desired.
- Sales driven and target focused
If this sounds like the job for you, please apply now!
Dunnes Stores is an equal opportunities employer