Overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic, resourceful, hardworking Assistant Buyer within Apparel to grow with the company and add value to our team. Experience at an Assistant Buyer level is necessary, as is an exceptional eye for detail, the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships across all areas of the business.
What you'll be doing
- Assisting in seasonal range plan development - analysing customer buying patterns, forecasting sales and predicting future trends, presenting findings in reports and presentations in a clear and logical format, this will include ratio calculations for size and colour;
- Buying for three key territories which include the UK, EU and North America.
- Work with your Head of buying to maximize profits and provide a commercially viable range of merchandise at competitive prices.
- Assisting in regularly reviewing stock, sales and orders and react with necessary urgency to ensure sales, stock & profit targets are achieved;
- Maintaining relationships with suppliers.
- Liaising with other departments within the organization to ensure projects are completed;
- Participating in promotional activities, helping the buying and merchandising team to identify slow moving stock, suggesting marks downs or promotions, as well as coordinating promotions and clearance events in store;
- Creating style books for products, identify when to update trim labels, fabrications and packaging, and liaise with graphic designer to ensure a consistent brand image;
- Managing the critical path, monitoring all orders from initial product development through to delivery, ensuring the smooth running of the development process, maintaining delivery schedules and key deadlines throughout;
- Managing sample process ensuring all designs and fabrications are executed correctly, meeting brand requirements;
- Lab dip and trim approvals and feeding back to suppliers
- Training and mentoring the BAA in the team.
- Approving PTS, for shipments.
- Attend fit meetings with QC, making suggestions on fit, styling, trims etc.., as well as signing off sample
We would love to meet someone with
- You will have relevant experience at Assistant Buyer level within a retail chain
- Experience of fully managing the critical path for your department
- Be aware of competitors and help to try and keep MW the best value on the high street
- Confident approach to offer suggestions on the type and quantity of product for the department given the budgeted OTB
- Good interpersonal skills – able to build and manage relationships with colleagues and suppliers, communication is key at all times
- Strong IT skills most importantly in Excel or equivalent
- Commercial and keeps up to date and aware of market trends, changes in demand
- Able to fully understand customer needs and demands (e.g. price, quality, availability)
- Strong time management skills and able to prioritize as this is a never-ending job and there will always be more to be done
What’s in it for you?
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Holiday allowance
- 50% staff discount & 25% for family and friends
- Pension scheme
In 1997, we launched Mountain Warehouse to make the outdoors accessible to everyone by offering value for money product and exemplary customer service.
The outdoor industry had become very jargon heavy and we wanted to create a brand that would cater to our mothers and our neighbour’s kids as well as seasoned professionals who understood the technology.
Our expansion since then has seen the brand grow and the product evolve, but the small family business that makes MW special has remained. Great product is at the heart of everything we do.
As we expand internationally we employ a team of dedicated diverse people to offer our valued customers the best possible experience when visiting our stores, shopping online and putting our range through its paces.
Welcome to our journey.