The Buyer is responsible for the Buying of at least 1 or 2 departments of the Fashion Division. He/She is also responsible for all commercial activities (suppliers, products and stocks) within his portfolio.
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Maintain and manage vendors database in the most commercial way ensuring that the absolute number of active vendors will deliver the highest commercial value to the organization.
- Negotiate terms with vendors and look to constantly improve the season's collections to improve gross margin.
- Manage the buying activities, creating the buying plan and select brands and products that meet agreed criteria and strategic vision of the division.
- Ensure all articles are set up accurately and POs communicated to vendor's on-time and within agreed OTB parameters.
- Ensure that all records and files are kept in an organized and efficient way to ensure business continuity at all times.
- Ensure reporting tools are always refreshed allowing for easy continues interrogation of business performance.
- Hold regular management meetings with key stakeholders to ensure that commercial information is communicated to the relevant parties to allow for optimum performance.
- Monitor stock and sell thru rates to ensure that business objectives are being adhered too and product targets are achieves.
- Ensure all buys confirm to the agreed OTB parameters set by Head of Buying and Merchandise Planning Manager.
- Ensure buys are made on time, are set up accurately and communicated to suppliers in a timely fashion.
- Manage gross margin in line with agreed budgets.
- Ensure all communication between the supplier/brand is clear, concise and on time to ensure that the commercial deadlines are met.
- Ensure all buys conform to the agreed OTB parameters set with supplier.
- Liaise with ABA Legal Department to ensure that all Own Buy and commercial contracts are approved in timely fashion and conform to ABA terms of business.
- Manage the agreed supplier timescale for order placement and delivery into store. This is very important to overall availability.
- Liaise between Architects and brands/supplier to ensure that all new shop in shop and brand fixtures are approved and installed to the agreed schedule and to the agreed ABA standard.
- Monitor progress of all deliveries to ensure that new collections are delivered as requested and agreed.
- Liaise with warehouse and logistics to ensure that goods are receipted as per agreements and can flow through to the shop floor.
- Liaise with the administration team to ensure price changes and any promotion activity is put through the system and agreed with brands accordingly.
Skills
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or any related field.
- 5 years of experience in a Buying position with preferably fashion retail experience.
- Experience in Premium/Luxury Fashion.
- Organized with high attention to detail.
- Excellent written and spoken English communication skills, preferably with French speaking background.
- Good knowledge on Arabic culture, market and local fashion trends would be useful.
- Demonstrable customer relations management skills.