Books Buyer - 12 Month FTC

The Works Stores Ltd; Coleshill CP; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25% Colleague Discount

MyWorks discounts

Family Friendly Leave

Holiday 33 days

Job summary

The Works Stores Ltd in Coleshill is seeking a Books Buyer to shape our product range across books, crafts, and related categories. You will lead sourcing, trend analysis, and supplier negotiations, balancing private label and branded products to drive growth.

Join a collaborative team with 1-2 days at our Support Centre in Coleshill and a strong focus on market data, storytelling for customers, and cross-functional leadership.

Qualifications

• Strategy and product range planning experience.
• Ability to test and trial new ideas using market data.
• Experience in private label and branded products selection.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Ability to manage trackers and communicate with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and justify range selections, sourcing new products.
• Brief NPD, identify trends and collaborate with design teams.
• Build excellent product ranges balancing private label and brands.
• Manage critical paths and development trackers.
• Analyze sales trends and optimize promotions and space management.
• Coordinate supplier QA, negotiate terms and funding with suppliers.
• Prepare internal communications and sign-off packs for governance.
• Coach junior team members and develop buying talent.
• Lead product area with stakeholders through the full buying process.

Skills

Leadership

Product development

Attention to detail

Colleague-focused

Influence & challenge

Initiative & passionate

Teamwork & collaboration

Networking & relationships

Negotiation skills

Self-starter

Microsoft skills

Job description

LocationHybrid: 1-2 days at our Support Centre in Coleshill, Birmingham.

Why The Works?

We don’t just sell products.

We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

The Works. It literally means everything. And whatever your story or background, we’re all about unlocking imagination and making creativity accessible to everyone.

Whether you’re engaging with customers on the frontline or supporting our colleagues behind the scenes, your impact can be profound and far-reaching.

This is more than toys and books and art supplies. This is about inspiring people to read, learn, create and play. So, with the right passion, it all starts with you.

Become a Books Buyer

Your Mission

• Strategy, decide what should be in our range and why, identifying the best sources and driving a competitive edge in the market. Test and trial new ideas for future growth based on market data.
• NPD Briefing, identifying new product trends and work with creative teams to deliver unique products that keep us ahead of the competition.
• Selection, build excellent product ranges, balancing private label and branded products, and manage product exits with a clear change plan.
• Critical Path Management, review development trackers and flag any risks to ensure smooth progress.
• Trade, articulate performance narratives, react to sales trends, and take action to maximise sales and minimise risk, including promotional activities and seasonal space management.
• Trackers and Analysis, keep all trackers up to date and suggest actions based on findings.
• Supplier and QA collaboration, ensure product specifications are met with ethical compliance.
• Negotiation, negotiate trading terms and funding support with suppliers.
• Internal Communications, collate and produce internal communications, presentations and sign-off packs.
• Coaching and Development, coach and develop junior team members, embodying what good looks like as a Buyer.
• Influencing Skills, understand your impact on others an develop influencing skills accordingly.
• Leadership, lead your product area with all internal stakeholders, guiding them through the full buying process and ensuring they have the information they need at each stage.
• Board Presentations, present to Board members for their sign-off, consistently completely all required sign-off packs.
• Additional Responsibilities, set budgets, engage in strategic sourcing, provide challenging feedback when necessary, and conduct store and web reviews, including working with a ‘buddy’ AM to understand operational issues.

Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart

• Leadership skills: To manage a Junior Buyer / Buying Assistant
• Product Development: Sourcing experience across own label and brands/licenses
• Attention to Detail: You have a forensic attention to detail to help us get things right the first time passionate and able to analyse data. Highly organised, decision maker
• Colleague-Focused Approach: You prioritise making things easier for our colleagues, clearly explaining the why, how, what, and when
• Influence and Challenge: You can influence and constructively challenge when necessary to ensure we do the right thing
• Initiative and Passionate: You use your initiative and have the energy and passion to make things happen. Problem solving and innovative thinking
• Teamwork and Collaboration: You believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration as the best way to achieve results
• Networking and Relationships: You understand the importance of networking and building strong relationships and stakeholder management
• Negotiation Skills: Hone and flex style of approach
• Self-Starter: Committed to driving your own development, emotionally resilient and calm under pressure
• Microsoft Skills: Intermediate

Our PERKS really are ‘The Works’

• 25% Colleague Discount! - Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
• MyWorks - Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more
• Family Friendly Leave - Enjoy some time well spent with enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay.
• Holiday - 33 days including bank holidays.
• Holiday Purchase - Purchase an additional 5 days
• Can-Do Academy - Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
• Stream - Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them - for when ‘life’ happens!
• Share Scheme - Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
• 24/7 support for you and your family - Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
• Healthcare Cash Plan - To support your everyday healthcare costs
• And loads more! - Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.

Our Purpose

To inspire reading, learning, creativity and play

Our Values

We are Crafty | Smart with what we've got.

We are Caring | Heart in every action.

We are Can-do | Energy that gets it done.

We Listen. We Care

Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.

Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments

At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).

We are open to discussions around working hours and flexible working. And, where possible, we'll try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments for an interview you might attend with us, let us know in your application and we’ll be happy to help!

The Works is the UK's leading specialist retailer of affordable, screen‑free activities for the whole family, providing customers with fantastic value across four product categories: arts and crafts, stationery, toys and games, and books.

We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.

Because when people spend time doing what they love, it’s Time Well Spent.

And with the right passion - It All Starts With You.