Lifestyle Brand Buyer — Hybrid Work & Perks

Target Australia; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Team member discounts

OnePass free delivery

Benefits program with exclusive offers

Bonus program eligibility

Free onsite parking

Parental leave support

Mentor & learning programs

Kudos recognition

Share purchase option

Job summary

Target Australia is seeking an experienced Retail Buyer - Lifestyle Brands to curate and grow a compelling portfolio of local and global brands, delivering the right product at the right price, at the right time for customers.

This role oversees end-to-end buying, brand scouting, Open-to-Buy management and in-season trading, partnering with merchandising planning, digital and stores to build a differentiated lifestyle offer across channels.

Qualifications

• Proven Retail Buyer experience within branded or multi-brand retail, ideally across lifestyle, fashion, streetwear, footwear, active, sports.
• Strong experience buying third-party branded product and managing relationships with brand owners, distributors, agents and/or suppliers.
• Passion for lifestyle brands, product and culture, with an instinctive understanding of market trends.
• Understanding of contemporary consumer behaviour, fashion, lifestyle, streetwear and sports culture and how these influence opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience sourcing and introducing new local and global brands, managing branded portfolios.
• Strong assortment-building capability across brand mix, category, product, style, price point and depth.
• Excellent commercial and financial acumen, with confidence managing OTB, sales, gross profit, margin, stock turn, sell-through and inventory.
• Strong analytical capability to translate sales, stock and market data into buying decisions.
• Excellent negotiation capability, with experience negotiating costs, volumes, MOQs and terms.
• Strong relationship management skills to build long-term partnerships with brand and supplier partners.
• Experience trading a range in-season, with the ability to chase winners and manage risks.
• Understanding of omnichannel retail and how product and customer demand differ across stores and online.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management across merchandise, planning, marketing, digital, retail and supply chain.
• Proactive, agile and results-driven approach, making commercial decisions at pace.

Responsibilities

• Own category by developing seasonal buying strategies balancing customer demand, brand relevance, trends and profitability.
• Curate a lifestyle brand portfolio, sourcing and managing the right mix of established and emergent brands.
• Monitor youth culture and trends, identifying products gaining momentum.
• Scout new brands and opportunities to differentiate the proposition.
• Translate insights into trend-forward, commercially successful assortments.
• Analyze competitor activity and market data to identify opportunities and maintain relevance.
• Collaborate with Merchandise Planning on seasonal financial plans, Open-to-Buy budgets and balanced assortments.
• Own the product buy, deciding on brands, categories, products, styles and depth.
• Range strategy across stores and digital channels based on demand and opportunity.
• Manage category performance: sales, gross profit, margins, inventory and markdowns.
• Assess weekly trading performance and adjust with repeat buys or in-season actions.
• Decide which products/brands to invest behind or exit based on performance potential.
• Build strategic relationships with third-party brands, agents, distributors and suppliers.
• Lead supplier negotiations on cost, MOQs, terms and delivery.
• Identify exclusive products and capsules to create differentiation.
• Monitor brand health and growth plans for high performers.

Skills

Retail Buyer experience

Brand owner relationships

Lifestyle brand passion

Consumer behaviour understanding

Brand scouting

Assortment building

Commercial & finance acumen

Analytical mindset

Negotiation

Relationship management

Omnichannel retail

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile mindset

Job description

Target Australia is seeking an experienced Retail Buyer - Lifestyle Brands to curate and grow a compelling portfolio of local and global brands, delivering the right product at the right price, at the right time for customers.

This role oversees end-to-end buying, brand scouting, Open-to-Buy management and in-season trading, partnering with merchandising planning, digital and stores to build a differentiated lifestyle offer across channels.