Assistant Buyer

Assistant Buyer - Home Category Experience - Minimum 2 Years for Buying experience.

Role OverviewThe Assistant Buyer – Soft Furnishing will support the Buyer in range planning, product development, sourcing, vendor management, market research, costing, and commercial performance. The role will work closely with cross-functional teams and vendors to ensure the right product assortment, quality, pricing, and timely delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Development & Range PlanningAssist the Buyer in product development, product presentations, packaging, and promotional planning.Support range planning and assortment building in line with seasonal and category strategies.Review and adjust seasonal and weekly plans based on business performance, market trends, and requirements.Support the Buyer in achieving budget, sales, and margin targets.Market & Competitor ResearchConduct regular market and competitor research to track emerging trends, pricing, MRP, quality benchmarks, product innovations, and new product opportunities.Identify market gaps and opportunities to strengthen the soft furnishing range.Vendor Identification, Development & Commercial ManagementIdentify, evaluate, and develop new vendors and sourcing opportunities.Support the vendor onboarding process and maintain strong vendor relationships.Support negotiations with vendors to achieve competitive costs and healthy margins.Assist in tracking and recovering vendor-related financial claims, including performance penalties, markdowns, and promotional contributions.Sample & Product Development TrackingCoordinate with vendors to ensure samples are developed and delivered within agreed timelines.Track sample status and follow up with vendors to ensure timely completion of product development milestones.Quality ManagementWork closely with QA/QC teams to establish and maintain quality standards for merchandise.Coordinate with vendors to address quality issues and ensure products meet defined standards.Cross-Functional CollaborationWork closely with Marketing, Product Design, Visual Merchandising, Merchandising, and other relevant teams to align product development and promotions with seasonal themes and product launches.Ensure timely communication of product information, features, and key benefits to the front-end/store teams.Stock & Commercial PerformanceWork closely with the Merchandising team on stock management, style options, quantities, promotions, and markdowns.Monitor product performance and support corrective actions to optimize sales, stock, and margins.Costing & Commercial ManagementSupport negotiations with vendors to achieve competitive costs and healthy margins.Assist in tracking and recovering vendor-related financial claims, including performance penalties, markdowns, and promotional contributions.

Top KPI’s (Ideally Measurable) for this role areDesign and coordinates understating.Strong understanding of soft furnishing products, sourcing, and retail trendsMarket and competitor analysisProduct development and range planningVendor management and sample tracking.Good understanding of costing, margins, MRP, and inventoryStrong coordination and follow-up skillsCross-functional collaborationGood communication and presentation skills