Assistant Buyer

Harrods; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading luxury department store in London seeks an Assistant Buyer to support its Beauty division. You will assist with product selection, manage trading, and ensure alignment with luxury standards. Ideal candidates have experience in luxury retail, strong analytical skills, and a passion for beauty. This role offers a hybrid working model and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in buying, ideally within luxury retail.
• Strong numeracy and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Assist with product selection and seasonal buys.
• Analyse sales performance and manage in-season trading.
• Coordinate brand meetings and maintain vendor relationships.
• Support new product launches.
• Conduct competitor research and produce performance reports.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Organisation

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Job description

We are looking for an Assistant Buyer to support the growth and success of our luxury Beauty [Skincare] division. This is a 12-month fixed-term contract until December 2026.

About The Role

As an Assistant Buyer, you’ll play a key role in supporting the Buyer across all aspects of the buying cycle, helping to shape our product offering across store, online, and airport channels. You’ll work closely with vendors, internal teams, and cross-functional departments to ensure our beauty assortment is trend-led, commercially strong, and aligned with Harrods’ luxury standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with product selection, quantifying orders, and planning seasonal buys including Sale and Christmas.
• Analyse sales performance and manage in-season trading, including re-orders, stock swaps, and RTVs.
• Coordinate brand meetings, strategy sessions, and maintain strong vendor relationships.
• Support new product launches and activations by liaising with internal teams such as Marketing, PR, and Visual Merchandising.
• Conduct competitor research and produce weekly trade and cross-channel performance reports.

Depending on your role, you may be fully on-site or have a mix of on-site and home working – this is what we refer to as ‘Hybrid’. Our hybrid working policy allows colleagues to work from home for part of the week, with a minimum of three days on‑site, depending on business needs.

Please see our Hybrid@Harrods policy on our Career Site for more information or speak to a member of our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions regarding the requirements for this role.

About You

You will be a commercially minded and highly organised individual with a passion for luxury beauty and a strong understanding of retail trends. You thrive in a fast‑paced environment, have excellent communication skills, and enjoy working collaboratively across teams. Your analytical mindset and attention to detail will help you succeed in this dynamic and varied role.

You will need:

• Previous experience in buying, ideally within luxury retail.
• Strong numeracy, analytical, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, with the ability to work independently.

About Us

Harrods is one of the world’s leading luxury department stores and we’re becoming a destination for top designers, and the most sought‑after brands from around the globe. Our combined mission is to make visiting our iconic Knightsbridge store one of the world’s most inspiring shopping experiences.

Our Promise to You

Help us make the impossible possible for our customers and we’ll do something remarkable for you. As well as offering a friendly environment to inspire your best work, we provide abundant opportunities and support to build an exceptional career across the varied specialisms of our business.

Uniquely You

Whilst our job adverts outline the ideal qualities, skills, and prior experience for the role, we believe in the potential for growth and value individual strengths. If you can demonstrate the majority of skills and strong experience to thrive in this role, we would encourage you to apply.

At Harrods we believe the personality and authenticity of our people sets us apart. We celebrate and invite applications from all cultures, backgrounds, tastes, and experiences and are proud of our culture where people from all walks of life can grow and thrive. What makes you unique makes us exceptional.

If you want to know more about life at Harrods, search #TogetherHarrods on LinkedIn, or follow us on Instagram @togetherharrods.