Assistant Buyer

Fenwick Limited; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

Birthday off

Staff discount

Wellbeing support

Hybrid working

Job summary

Fenwick Limited is seeking an Assistant Buyer for the Food & Drink category to support the delivery of buying strategy across stores and online. You will collaborate with the Buyer and Merchandising teams to develop commercially sound range plans aligned with Fenwick's brand and customer needs.

The role involves end-to-end buying, sourcing, supplier negotiations, and trading analysis to optimise sales and margins. A multichannel retail background and strong analytical skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Intermediate buying experience and sales understanding.
• Analytical mindset with ability to identify opportunities for efficiency.
• Strong negotiating and supplier relationship skills.
• Experience in a retail multichannel environment.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the buying strategy for Food & Drink across Fenwick stores and online.
• Source and develop ranges, support supplier negotiations, and manage stock and OTB.
• Analyse trading performance to drive sales, margin and market share.

Skills

Buying experience

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Multichannel retail

Tools

Excel

Job description

Are you looking for a new challenge in a buying role? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Home, Food & Wine buying team as Assistant Buyer for the Food & Drink category!

We offer hybrid working between your home and our functional hub offices in our Newcastle Flagship store, offering a collaborative and innovative working space.

When you join Fenwick, you’ll receive:

• 33 days annual leave (inclusive of 8 bank holidays) and a buying holiday benefits scheme in which you are eligible to buy a further 5 days across the year.
• Your birthday off as an additional day annual leave – this can be taken any day within your birth month.
• Up to 25% discount in all Fenwick stores and fenwick.co.uk.
• WeCare -24/7 GP, wellbeing advice & support service.
• Hybrid Working (typically Thursday and Friday working from home).

About the Role

The Assistant Buyer plays a key role in delivering the buying strategy for the Food & Drink category across Fenwick’s stores and online. Working closely with the Buyer and wider Buying & Merchandising teams, the role supports the development and implementation of commercially sound range plans that reflect the Fenwick brand, respond to market trends and meet the needs of local customers, with a clear focus on driving sales, margin and market share.

The role is involved across the end-to-end buying process, including sourcing and developing food and drink ranges, supporting supplier negotiations, analysing trading performance and managing stock and OTB effectively. Through detailed trade analysis and strong attention to data, the Assistant Buyer helps identify opportunities for growth, improve efficiencies and reduce markdown risk, while ensuring ranges remain current, balanced and customer-focused.

Collaboration is central to the role, working closely with Retail, Digital, Marketing, Logistics and support functions to deliver seasonal strategies, product launches and promotional activity across the Food & Drink category. This role suits someone with buying experience in a multichannel retail environment, strong commercial awareness and analytical skills, and the confidence to build supplier relationships, contribute ideas and support continuous improvement within a fast-paced buying team.

What we are looking for in a candidate…

• Intermediate level experience in buying, and sales.
• A keen interest in food, drink and premium gifting products.
• Experience in developing product strategies and building business cases.
• Analytical with a keen ability to identify opportunities for efficiency and improvement.
• Negotiating and contracting skills.
• Intermediate communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience within a retail multichannel environment.

About Fenwick

Fenwick is rich with heritage and history and have been style pioneers since 1882 when our first store opened. We know luxury and are proud to remain the largest independent, family-owned group of department stores within the UK. We are on an exciting journey to exceed our customers' expectations and we are always on the lookout for new talent to join us.

Our collaborative spirit unites a workforce of over 2,000 individuals across our stores, as well as in our support functions, encompassing Digital, Buying & Merchandising, IT, Finance, People, Customer Service teams, and our cherished restaurants and distribution centres.

In 2023 we launched our ‘Quiet No More’ campaign, enhancing our presence on the UK high street as well as our eCommerce website going from strength to strength. Together, we form the beating heart of Fenwick, driving forward our vision for excellence and innovation. Join us as we pave the way toward an even brighter tomorrow, where tradition meets transformation!