The Senior Buyer will lead the development and execution of the buying strategy for the Apparel & Accessories category. This role is responsible for brand partnerships, product selection, commercial performance, and driving category growth across multiple channels.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead buying activities for the Apparel & Accessories category, ensuring alignment with overall business strategy
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key brand partners and continuously source new brands to expand the portfolio
- Attend buying appointments, product launches, and trade shows to curate commercially viable and trend-driven assortments
- Analyze weekly sales performance with the merchandising team and implement actionable plans to optimize trading performance
- Prepare and present category performance and strategic plans during trade and internal meetings
- Negotiate trading terms, pricing, distribution agreements, and budgets with brand partners
- Manage category budgets, including Open-to-Buy (OTB) for both in-season and forward planning
- Collaborate with marketing and multichannel teams to drive category visibility across all platforms (retail, e-commerce, social media)
- Present product ranges and assortment strategies for approval to senior leadership (Buying Director and Merchandising Director)
- Identify opportunities to drive sales, improve product mix, and enhance overall category performance
- Represent the Buying function for Apparel & Accessories in cross-functional initiatives
Qualifications & Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Fashion Merchandising, or a related field
- Proven experience in buying, with strong exposure to branded goods (fashion experience is highly preferred)
- Strong commercial acumen with excellent analytical and numerical skills
- Experience in budget management, forecasting, and OTB planning
- Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills
- Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
- Self-driven, proactive, and able to work independently
- Strong sense of fashion trends, creativity, and market awareness
