Full Time Retail Buyer (Homewares, Gifts & Stationery)
Elphicks is a dynamic, award-winning business trading for over 140 years in the heart of Farnham. We are the major high street retailer in the area and our 26,000 square foot premises is fully modernised, having undergone a recent £2m major refurbishment. Elphicks continues to grow and be profitable, with our success built on our fantastic customer service and the quality and range of products you would expect to see in a full line department store.
Following a recent retirement, we now seek a motivated and enthusiastic individual with proven ability to deliver results to join us as our new Retail Buyer.
The Retail Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring the merchandise meets customer needs and drives profitable sales. This role demands a mix of analytical skills, market knowledge and strong interpersonal abilities to manage supplier relationships and negotiate favourable terms. Responsible for an annual sales budget of £2.9m.
The ideal candidate must welcome the responsibility that comes with the job and relish the opportunity to serve Elphicks' customers with time-served classics and new innovations across their categories including:
Gifts (pivotal for the Christmas trading period), Cookware, Linens and Stationery
If you are enthusiastic about retail and posses a keen eye for emerging trends, this role offers an exciting opportunity to shape the product offering of a dynamic retail business.
Possessing highly effective communication skills, with at least three years previous experience in a procurement role within a high street retail environment, you will undertake regular UK travel to attend trade events, undertake competitor analysis and meet vendors. Overnight stays are required for some of these events.
We offer the successful candidate a company pension, free onsite parking and a generous staff discount.
If you believe this exciting opportunity is for you, we would love to hear from you.
Main Purpose of Job:
The Retail Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring that the store purchases a mix of merchandise to meet customers’ needs and to drive profitable sales. This role demands a mix of analytical skills with the ability to understand and articulate the categories’ historic and emerging trends as well as to make well-founded recommendations for company investments.
Finally, the Retail Buyer is the key interface in the relationship with existing and prospective vendors and is able to achieve the company’s standards in negotiations with these suppliers.
Tasks:
1.Analysis and Research
Analyse past performance of sales and margin for all allocated categories in order to understand trends, emerging risks and opportunities per department.
Understand the current year’s budget for sales and gross margin
Keep abreast of key tends for each department
Gather and analyse comparator / competitor intelligence (via store visits, AIS data, in-house commissioned studies etc.) to assess comparator / competitor decisions for allocated categories (Brands stocked, store area dedicated, P.O.S. materials, promotions, staffing levels etc.)
Attend trade fairs for assigned categories to view new ranges of merchandise and to meet and maintain contacts with vendors.
2.Evaluation and final selection of suppliers
·Evaluate the offerings of vendors using professional processes (RFQ, RFP etc.), considering essential and desirable criteria for the company
·Formalise recommendations for the selection / continuation of vendors and the selection of merchandise to be purchased
·Lead negotiations with suppliers and finalise terms and conditions
3.Administration
·Set up or amend supplier details on internal systems
·Place orders using internal systems
·Resolve any issues with received orders directly with vendors as needed
·Review and approve all vendor invoices for payment
·Handle and resolve any vendor queries that are escalated from the purchase ledger team
4.Sales and Margin Performance and Monitoring
·Monitor sell-through rate on a continual basis and recommend next steps to the management (maintain, grow, divest etc.).
·Monitor and report on margin performance and advise management on areas of underperformance or opportunity.
·Plan, organise and manage special promotion and PR events instore or at external venues throughout the year to promote brand awareness and generate sales.
·Assist in providing content for e-newsletters, social media streams, website and other digital channels.
Person Specification:
Essential
·Highly analytical of sales and margin evolution
·Excellent research skills and analysis of retail trends for assigned categories, ability to diagnose risks and opportunities
·Ability to evaluate vendor offerings using a variety of criteria and to make recommendations based on these
·Strong communication skills in written and presentation form
·At least 3 years previous experience working in procurement role a high street retail environment
·Availability to undertake regular UK travel to attend trade events, undertake competitor analysis and meet vendors
Ideal
CIPS or CIM qualified
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: Up to £45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Company pension
Employee discount
On-site parking
Schedule:
Day shift
Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
Farnham, GU9 7DN: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
retail buying: 3 years (required)
Language:
English (required)
Licence/Certification:
Do you hold a current UK driving licence (required)
Work authorisation:
United Kingdom (required)
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