Buyer

Sobeys; Stellarton; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sobeys in Stellarton, Canada is seeking a Buyer to optimize UPC-based procurement, forecast accuracy, and supplier performance while supporting sales and freshness standards. You will manage replenishment, negotiate with wholesalers, monitor inventory and lead times, and collaborate with cross-provincial teams to implement best-practice inventory processes.

The role emphasizes data-driven decisions, margin protection, and adherence to weekly buy guides, with a focus on minimizing shrink and

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree and at least 2 years relevant experience, or DEC with at least 4 years relevant experience.
• Experience purchasing and replenishing UPC-managed products, including purchase order execution, inventory management, supplier collaboration, and promotional planning.
• Knowledge of demand forecasting and inventory planning.
• Extensive knowledge of Excel (intermediate level).
• Bilingualism in English and French is an asset with cross-provincial collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Purchase and manage UPC-based products, reviewing forecasts, inventory levels, and supplier availability to execute purchase orders.
• Maintain freshness with daily inventory reviews to minimize shrink and sell-offs.
• Proactively review items likely to exceed target dates and negotiate with suppliers or promote for price adjustments.
• Identify and build relationships with wholesalers or new suppliers for ad hoc coverage and ensure compliance with specifications and pricing.
• Optimize freight by reviewing truck weight and cube to reduce costs.
• Perform replenishment including PO execution for baseline, promotional, and investment buying.
• Make decisions using forecasts, seasonality, on-hand quantities, lead times, and the sourcing manager's quota file.
• Conduct analyses to forecast future customer demand based on historical data.
• Support development and execution of best-practice inventory management to meet fill rate and freshness benchmarks.
• Adhere to the weekly buy guide and maintain budgeted margins for the region and banner strategies.

Skills

Inventory management

Forecasting

Vendor relations

Excel (intermediate)

Bilingual English/French (asset)

Education

Undergraduate Degree or DEC with experience

Tools

UPC management system

PO execution tools

Job description

Overview

Sobeys offers exciting opportunities for talented individuals to join our team. We are currently seeking a Buyer to join our team. This role will actively support our customers through excellence in procurement and is a great opportunity for someone with inventory control or supply chain experience to take the next step in their career.

Here’s where you’ll be focusing

• Purchase and manage UPC-based products, including reviewing forecasts, inventory levels, promotional activity, and supplier availability to execute purchase orders that support sales, service level targets, and freshness standards.
• Maintain Freshness – Daily review of inventory, sales, and upcoming POs to minimize shrink and sell-offs for articles that exceed the target date (1- to 5-day window, minimal safety stock).
• Maintain Freshness – Proactively review and identify articles that will exceed the target date (1- to 5-day window, minimal safety stock) and immediately take action as required. This may include working with CM to create a promotion and reduce the price or could result in reselling to wholesalers.
• Service Level – Daily review to identify and prevent out-of-stock situations, as several suppliers are listed by article.
• Service Level – Identify and build relationships with wholesalers or find new suppliers in the market who can provide ad hoc coverage when regular suppliers are unable to support an order. This includes negotiating to ensure they comply with our specifications, provide fair pricing, and meet required demand.
• Freight Optimization – Daily review to ensure trucks are maximized for weight and cube to maintain and reduce costs.
• Perform the replenishment process, including purchase order execution for baseline, promotional, and investment buying.
• Make decisions based on forecasts, seasonality, on-hand and order quantities, supplier lead time and transit time, and the Sourcing Manager’s quota file.
• Conduct analysis to evaluate future customer demand based on historical data.
• Support the development and execution of best-practice inventory management processes that will meet or exceed benchmarks for customer order fill and freshness.
• Adhere to the weekly buy guide and ensure that the replenishment function meets budgeted financial targets to avoid any impact to margin, contributing to the respective region and banner strategies.

What you have to offer

• An Undergraduate Degree and a minimum of 2 years of relevant experience, or a DEC and a minimum of 4 years of relevant experience.
• Experience purchasing and replenishing UPC-managed products, including purchase order execution, inventory management, supplier collaboration, and promotional planning.
• Knowledge of the principles of demand forecasting and inventory planning.
• Extensive knowledge of Excel (intermediate level).
• Produce experience preferred.
• Bilingualism in English and French is an asset, as the candidate will be expected to work collaboratively with peers in other provinces to develop procedures and processes for national implementation. They will also interact regularly with peers in other provinces and provide support to Sobeys employees across Canada.

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