Assistant Buyer

Hobbycraft; Christchurch; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A creative retail company is seeking an Assistant Buyer to join their team. This full-time position involves supporting the Buyer in developing product ranges and driving sales. The ideal candidate will possess Microsoft Office skills, strong communication abilities, and a keen eye for trends. Enjoy a hybrid working model, competitive salary, and various employee benefits including discounts and a pension scheme.

Benefits

25% Discount Card for stores

33 days holiday inclusive of Bank Holidays

Company pension contribution

Hybrid working model

Free onsite parking

Qualifications

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to understand customer insights and market trends.
• Strong communication skills and ability to influence.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Buyer in generating ideas to grow sales and margin.
• Support sourcing and developing product ranges with vendors.
• Ensure adherence to project timelines and processes.

Skills

Microsoft Office skills (Excel and PowerPoint)

Understanding customer insights and market trends

Strong communication and influencing skills

Building relationships at all levels

Highly organised multitasker

Flexible and adaptable

Job description

Overview

The vacancy

Role: Assistant Buyer

Location: Bournemouth

Reference: HOB1141563

Closing Date: 09/10/2025 23:59

Creativity is Hobbycraft’s reason for being, so when you join our fantastic team, you will be surrounded by like-minded imaginative people. We believe that working together and embracing new and innovative ideas are the best way to make our colleagues feel part of something.

Assistant Buyer - Hobbycraft Head Office, BH23 6HG

Salary - up to £27k pa dependent on experience - Pension with a 4% contribution, 25 days holiday increasing every year, 25% discount in our stores

This is a full-time role, working 37.5 hours. Our core business hours are Monday to Friday – 10am to 3pm with a flexible approach to start and finish times

Our hybrid working model is 3 days in the office, 2 days working from home

Key Purpose of Role

In this role, you’ll be working alongside the Buyer and wider Trading team, supporting the management and delivery of the strategy for the category, providing data insight and analysis on the range performance, helping to shape product ranges, execute promotions, and bring innovative retail strategies to life — all while playing a key part in driving sales and hitting margin targets. You will be working with large well known branded suppliers, new innovative brands and our own brand sourcing offices in the far east to deliver inspirational product ranges that meet the needs of our customers.

Working at pace you will need to be adaptive, accurate and efficient in your approach to handling multiple projects at once, whilst prioritising your workload.

What's the job?

• Assisting the Buyer in generating new ideas on how to grow sales, margin and supplier income.
• Support the Buyer when sourcing and developing compelling product ranges, through developing relationships with new and existing vendors, which reflect the category strategy
• Support the buying process, with an awareness of impact on cross functional teams, allowing for flexibility adhering to a critical path, that ensures projects are delivered on time.
• With the Buyer, support end to end vendor strategy management including contract and cost price negotiation.
• Assist the Buyer in providing sales analysis on a weekly basis as directed
• Gather insights to support the category pricing hierarchy system via comp shops & online comparisons.
• Within the category Buying team, support the product lifecycle including range performance, identifying and optimising trading opportunities and the delivery of promotions and range reviews.
• Co-ordinate and execute the sampling process for range development, including management and approval of packaging.
• Ensure all products and vendors are set up in line with agreed processes, with accurate complete data.
• Conduct regular (digital & physical) competitor store visits to help identify new opportunities as well as changes to our existing offering.
• Undertake wider administrative duties from time to time as may be reasonably required.

What We Need

Required Skills & Experience:

• Microsoft Office skills, in particular Excel and PowerPoint are advantageous
• Ability to understand customer insights and market trends
• Strong communication and influencing skills
• Ability to build relationships at all levels
• A highly organised multitasker, with a keen eye for detail, accuracy and achieving deadlines
• Flexible and adaptable

What's in it for me?

• Competitive Salary
• 25% Discount Card for Hobbycraft Stores and Haskins
• Free Onsite Parking
• EV Charging Point
• Free Hot Drinks
• 33 days holiday inclusive of Bank Holidays with an increase each holiday year
• Birthday Day Off
• Hybrid Working
• Company pension contribution – up to 4% contribution
• Employee Assistance Programme provide by Retail Trust
• Cash Health Plan with Health Shield
• Contribution towards eyesight test and glasses
• Subsidised gym membership
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Long service awards and gifts
• Continuous training, development, and performance management
• Colleague Wellness Programme
• A creative working environment
• Colleague Social Events throughout the year including Summer and Christmas events

Equal Opportunity & About Us

We are completely committed to supporting anyone with a disability in applying for our vacancies. If you have a disability and require support throughout our recruitment process, you can contact us at [e-mail] and let us know what adjustments you may need.

At Hobbycraft we celebrate the joy of crafting, and we celebrate all of our colleagues and customers. As a retailer we have a diverse Colleague base from a broad range of all communities. Our colleagues are recruited for their skill, passion, love of craft and customer service, which is also reflected in our customer base. It is this skill and love of crafting which defines them. Hobbycraft, is an equal opportunity employer who takes equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging very seriously, we regularly review our policies and practices to ensure not only compliance, but also best practise from an employment perspective.

Hobbycraft are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and we are committed to equal and fair treatment for all colleagues or potential colleagues irrespective of race, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnic origins, religion or belief, disability, age, gender, marital or family status.

About Us

We’re here to help you create

Our passion for craft is at the centre of everything we do. This is reflected in our creative and knowledgeable Hobbycraft store colleagues, who are always on hand to help, and our vast, carefully selected range of quality products. Throughout the year, we also host a variety of workshops and demos in stores and online, designed to give everyone the opportunity to master a new craft or refine a beloved one.

We're here to support everyone on their crafting journey, from parents looking to encourage their creative kids, to student artists, expert knitters, model making hobbyists and more! Why not come into your local Hobbycraft store today and find the perfect craft for you?

What's Needed

Customer service

Creative

Knowledgeable

Documents