Overview
Position Title: Buyer
Company: Sainsbury’s
Location: Bristol, UK
Job Description:
As a Buyer in General Merchandise, you will be responsible for translating and delivering the category strategy for your given product range/series helping to achieve profitable growth.
Responsibilities:
- Design and implement a customer driven, strategic vision for product ranges in line with the category strategy with clearly defined and measurable initiatives
- Working in partnership with Product Development and Global Sourcing teams to deliver the sourcing and selection strategy for a group of products
- Using knowledge of markets and suppliers, inform the category budget and create and implement trading plans
- Act as a coach by managing Assistant Buyers and Admin Assistants, regularly assessing individuals’ performance and giving feedback where appropriate
- Manage pricing across category to achieve a competitive position without compromising profitability
- Influence global brands on their product offer to build a credible curated customer proposition
- Lead and develop strong supplier relationships to ensure we are front of mind in terms of product development
- Review improved annual terms with full supply base to maximise group synergies
- Deliver the own brand proposition through collaborative working with design, product development, merchandising and global sourcing teams to land product that differentiates us vs the market.
- Work strategically with brands to secure exclusive, winning, and compelling promotions and events; allowing us to win with customers
- Develop a compelling promotional plan for the category, working cross-functionally with the Marketing and Digital teams to create multichannel marketing
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity, price positioning and stock availability and work in partnership with Merchandisers to react appropriately to maximise sales, profitability and market share
- Conduct regular store visits and build relations with the retail team, gaining a commercial awareness of competitor and position and activity
- Beyond own ranges, develop knowledge of wider category to support and where necessary, deputise for Senior Buyer
- Ensure team activity is legal and compliant, and that any team members are trained to understand their obligations under competition law and ethical training
Requirements:
- Commercial awareness and previous Buying experience, preferably within a Non-food Omni-channel environment
- Knowledge of systems and processes in a complex multi-channel environment
- Good degree of commercial acumen with a proven track record of commercial successes within this or other organisations
- Knowledge and understanding of Legal, competition law, anti-bribery and corruption, Intellectual Property and TSI
- Ability to analyse complex data from multiple sources to drive decisions and strategies
- Proven track record of delivering results to targets as an individual and within a team
- Financially astute understands how own business decisions can influence shareholder value, understand financial levers to drive product performance with category responsibility
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-moving dynamic retail environment
- Ability to identify market trends and opportunities, at pace
- Effective communicator, presenter, and team player with an ability to bring other with them to deliver the strategy
- Experience of working with suppliers on a FOB & domestic basis
- Demonstrate credibility with stakeholders, displaying a range of influencing styles
- Acts as a change agent and embraces new ways of working and share best-practice
- Focus on the customer and make decisions based on customer feedback
About Sainsbury's
As the UK’s second largest retailer, with over 1400 stores and a huge digital presence, we’re offering more online and in store than ever before. Smarter, greener, more affordable choices. And products that bring real joy.