Senior Buyer - Apparel Industry

Business Unit: Corporate Fashion

Job Purpose:

To buy and implement department product strategy and tactical plans by ensuring that the category(s) purchased reflects the retail trends at best commercial value and the planned stock figures

Key Accountabilities Operational:

- Determines the buying requirements and formulates buying plan as per budget for the assigned category, based on the analysis of the historical trends and future forecasts

- Actively participate in implementing the buying strategy

- Identify and shortlist potential vendors as partners and negotiating cost

- Negotiate prices in line with the desired level of margins

- Maintain an extensive level of communication with the planning team for applying previous performance analysis into the process of range direction and selection

- Create and define product ranges for the different product categories within budget

- Create or assist the Buying manager in the process of creating the range direction, selection and final sign off

- Creates buying plans for more than two departments while ensuring profitability by maintaining and building customer focused category lines

- Aligns the buying plan to the overall business strategy as laid down by the management

- Tracks and evaluates category sales performance, market sales trends and competitor trading activities to identify critical business factors and accordingly propose action plans to increase sales and profitability

- Assure pre-production quality check is executed in a timely manner with the quality control manager collaboration

- Travel to various destinations to finalize the process of goods merchandising

- Conduct periodic store visits to collect feedback from the stores

- Oversees and manages placement of orders based on the buying plans and ensures merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement

- Responsible for negotiating price and ensuring delivery arrangements with Suppliers/Vendors within set budget

- Ensures effective communication, collation, and follow-up on various product requirements and findings obtained from the sales/store data

- Ensures the development of periodic reports on consumer behaviour, consumer trends per product etc. to facilitate decisions to manage product lines

- Coordinate with the Central Distribution Center, Quality Controllers, Stores, Visual Merchandising and any other function on issues relating to the brand

- Regularly Reviewing performance indicators, such as sales and discount levels

- Develop awareness about the organized, unorganized category segments and identifying their strengths and weaknesses and share the same with the buying manager

- Periodically reviewing performance indicators, such as sales and discount levels

- Maintain high level of product knowledge, plus ensuring the product is procured within the acceptable standard norms of quality and fit

- Manage the distribution of tasks among the reporting team, allowing a proper flow of tasks and a smooth finalization of the buying plan

- People Management

- Manages and monitors the day to day activities of the buying team, providing guidance as and when required

- Guide and Coach the team in developing better business skills

- Product and Process Improvement

- Apply experience on evolving new procurement methods, introducing new suppliers, or production lines to assure cost efficiency

Education and Certification:

Bachelor degree in Fashion Designing

Bachelor degree/PG in a Retail Function, Marketing, Business Management, Procurement, or Financial Management

Knowledge and Skills:

Proficient in MS Office

Proficient Level of presentation and Negotiating skills

Experience:

- 4 years of experience as a buyer for a medium-promotional environment

- 2 years of experience in product development

- Experience in Related product line is required

- Experience in purchasing and importing products from commercially viable sources/regions is an advantage