Eagle Farm - Buyer

Universal Store; City of Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts across brands

Hybrid working arrangements

Free on-site parking

Parental leave

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Universal Store in Brisbane is seeking a commercially minded and trend-focused Buyer to shape our youth fashion assortments. You will own your category, identify upcoming brands and products, and use data and customer insights to drive profitability.

Reporting to the Senior Buyer, you will partner with Buying, Planning, Marketing, Retail and eCommerce teams to land seasonal stories, balance inventory, and influence product direction in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Experience as Buyer or Category Buyer in fashion, accessories or fast-paced retail.
• Strong understanding of youth fashion trends and brand landscape.
• Proven track record building assortments that meet demand and commercial targets.
• Ability to translate trends into viable product opportunities.
• Excellent analytical and forecasting skills with data-driven decision making.
• Experience managing category performance, inventory forecasting and Open-to-Buy budgets.

Responsibilities

• Shaping the future of your category by identifying brands, products and trends our customers will wear next season.
• Create winning assortments by combining trend insight with commercial thinking and customer understanding.
• Own category performance using data and insights to drive sales and profitability.
• Influence product direction through understanding youth culture and customer behaviour.
• Build strong partnerships with local and global brands for exclusive ranges.
• Manage buying cycle from planning to in-season trading and performance analysis.

Skills

Buyer experience

Trend forecasting

Data-driven decision making

Open-to-Buy

Brand and supplier relationships

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Excel

Job description

From our humble beginnings as a suburban unisex clothing store in 1999, we’ve grown to more than 100 stores nationally and now deliver the latest in apparel to customers around the world through our thriving online store. Our team carefully curates a mix of local and international labels, working collaboratively to develop exclusive styles and collections that give our customers head to toe outfitting options for every occasion.

Today, we’re proud to be recognised as one of Australia’s leading youth fashion retailers. We’ve built and grown brands such as Neovision, Common Need, Luck & Trouble, and Worship, and we continue to partner with global favourites including Front Runner, Abrand, Rusty, Lioness, Motel. As our business has expanded, we’ve welcomed the Perfect Stranger and Thrills brands into our portfolio, allowing us to offer an even broader range of fits, styles and pieces that reflect the diversity of our customer base.

No matter the style, our mission remains the same: elevate every outfit and deliver customer service that goes above and beyond.

The Opportunity

Are you obsessed with trends, product and creating ranges that customers can't wait to get their hands on? We've got an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded and trend-focused Buyer who thrives on balancing creativity with analytics!

Reporting to the Senior Buyer and based at our Eagle Farm Support Office, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping our product offering, identifying emerging trends and curating market-leading assortments that inspire our customers and drive commercial success. You'll be responsible for owning your category, leveraging data and customer insights to make informed decisions, and building strong partnerships with both local and global brands.

Key responsibilities include:

• Shaping the future of your category by identifying the brands, products and trends our customers will be wearing next season
• Bringing together trend insight, commercial thinking and customer understanding to create winning assortments
• Owning the performance of your category, using data and insight to drive sales, profitability and growth
• Influencing product direction through a deep understanding of youth culture, fashion movements and customer behaviour
• Building strong partnerships with some of the industry's most exciting local and global brands
• Discovering emerging brands and product opportunities that keep Universal Store at the forefront of youth fashion
• Managing the buying cycle from planning and selection through to in-season trading and performance analysis
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure every product launch and seasonal story lands with impact
• Balancing inventory, demand and opportunity to achieve strong commercial outcomes
• Keeping your finger firmly on the pulse through trend forecasting, competitor analysis, market research and industry events

About You

You're naturally curious, always on the lookout for what's next, and get genuine satisfaction from seeing a product or brand you've backed become a customer favourite.

You'll bring:

• Experience in a Buyer, Junior Buyer or Category Buyer role within fashion, accessories, apparel, streetwear or a fast-paced retail environment
• A strong understanding of the youth fashion landscape and a genuine passion for trends, brands, product and customer behaviour
• Proven success building assortments that deliver on both customer demand and commercial performance
• The ability to identify emerging trends and translate them into relevant, commercially successful product opportunities
• Strong analytical and commercial acumen, with confidence interpreting sales data, identifying opportunities and making informed buying decisions
• Experience managing category performance, inventory, forecasting and Open-to-Buy budgets
• Well-developed supplier and brand management skills, with the ability to build strong relationships and negotiate positive commercial outcomes
• A proactive and agile mindset, with the confidence to react quickly to changing trends and trading conditions
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-moving retail environment
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build strong relationships across Buying, Planning, Marketing, Retail and eCommerce teams
• You know your way around an Excel spreadsheet and have confidence working with reporting, forecasting and product analysis tools
• A passion for discovering new brands, identifying opportunities and bringing exciting product to market before everyone else

What We Offer

• A vibrant, collaborative workplace culture with a supportive and growth driven leadership team
• Exclusive staff discounts across our brands, plus access to partner deals and offers through Flare
• Free on-site parking and generous facilities at our modern, purpose-built Support Office located in Eagle Farm
• Learning & Development opportunities - Grow your career with us!
• Hybrid working arrangements with flexibility to work from home
• Salary sacrificing and novated leasing options
• Company paid parental leave
• Wellbeing support through Sonder and regular wellness initiatives
• Regular social events and team activities

Our Values

• Care for Everyone
• Here to Help
• Make it Work
• Better Than Good
• Contribute