Buyer

Crew Clothing Company; Kingston upon Thames; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading clothing company is seeking a Buyer for their Sportswear division to manage the buying process and collaborate with design, merchandising, and technical teams. This role offers the opportunity to leverage previous experience in sportswear buying to enhance product offerings and profitability while maintaining strong supplier relationships.

Benefits

Staff Discount

Uniform allowance

Pension scheme

Refer a Friend scheme

Training and career development

Supportive and rewarding culture

Qualifications

• Experience in Sportswear and Activewear buying.
• Proven track record of margin improvement.
• Strong understanding of supplier negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for 95% on-time delivery through all channels.
• Direct management of sport buying, ensuring profitability.
• Work closely with design to ensure products align with brand essence.

Skills

Time Keeping

Buying

Management

Job description

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Buyer - Sportswear

Full Time

Kingston

At Crew Clothing, we believe clothes are about so much more than “just clothes”. Designed with the spirit of the south coast in every stitch, our crossed oars are a mark of timeless British style. These are clothes for life’s best moments.

Buyer - Sportswear

Full Time

Kingston

At Crew Clothing, we believe clothes are about so much more than “just clothes”. Designed with the spirit of the south coast in every stitch, our crossed oars are a mark of timeless British style. These are clothes for life’s best moments.

We believe in collaboration, kindness and creativity, in celebrating our successes and championing our customer at every step of the way. From ’93 to now, people have been at the heart of everything we do. It’s in our name – Crew.

Purpose Of The Role

As a buyer you will have responsibility for the buying and production of the Sportswear & Activewear department, working in partnership with Design, Merchandising and Technical. This role manages the process to ensure that the collections, once designed are appropriately developed, costed, and commercially assorted to deliver the best collection to Stores, E commerce and Wholesale partners in a timely manner.

Reports Into

Head of Buying

Responsibilities

Accountable for:

• 95% on time delivery through all channels.
• Direct management of Sport buying, while reporting into Head of Buying
• Delivery of profitability of the assortment, adhering to intake margin targets set by Head of Buying
• Ability and confidence to work directly with HOB and Designer on new season development
• Maintaining and improving the product to ensure that it reaches the brand essence of Crew Clothing.
• Delivery of balanced assortment to different grading of stores / marketplaces / E comm and wholesale partners
• Delivery of Range sign offs to Heads of and Directors
  
  

Product

• Work closely with design team to ensure product is signed off and agreed.
• Work in partnership with merchandising in developing correct range mix & price architecture, given history, competitor analysis & new sales insight.
• Monitor and support Design’s product development through to Final Design sign off and SMS review
• Work with Head of Buying to set the Supplier Strategy, evaluate key suppliers, strengths and weaknesses and evolve /rationalise accordingly within business parameters.
• In collaboration with Head of Buying, identify key suppliers for both volume and quick response business to increase margin, and ensure OTB demands / repeats can be delivered on time in season, when necessary.
• Manage and negotiate prices with all suppliers on set areas, ensuring seasonal strategy is met. Prepare documents for sign off with head of Buying and Business owner
• Proactively problem solve any margin issues with key partners.
• Work with the technical team to ensure that all products developed and produced meet the brand essence and ensure with the support of the technical team that core fits are maintained.
• Understand the Crew customer and their aspirations, monthly visiting of stores with cross functional partners and ensure competitor knowledge is always up to date.
• Manage the VRP throughout the process, ensuring accurate and up to date information.
• Ensuring any required changes to product are presented to Directors with clear information of issues and actions proposed
• Ensure signed off samples are lodged and stored clearly in the product library for reference, and available for relevant meeting.
• Approve print and product lab dips with Design, in line with the Crew brand essence.
• Approve bulk fabric and trim submissions, in line with business CP
  
  

Product Critical Path Management

• Ensure suppliers are aware of the timeline at the start of the season.
• Manage team updates on Product critical path – ensuring POs are correct on the system and reflect latest intake
• Trade the dept – understand trade, so you can react in season and cut/infill where you’ve had success and failure
• Ensure that all marketing & Ecommerce collateral is correct and up to date in accordance to business CP.
• Ensure 100% on time delivery of accurate salesman, product & shoot samples.
• Support team in weekly critical path reviews and offer guidance to junior members if the team.
  
  

People Management

• Lead by example and communicate with clarity and consistency.
• Ensure team is fully functioning and that cross functional relationships are maintained.
• Train and develop individual team members to improve their individual capabilities and deliver functional expertise.
  
  

Key Skills And Experience

• Experience in Sportswear and Activewear Buying with clear track record of delivering margin improvement
• Extensive experience of initiating and developing direct sourcing relationships in product.
• Knowledge if supplier negotiation and have a proven track record of travelling alone to various sources across the globe.
• Technical expertise in garment fabrication, construction and production
• Market knowledge of clothing including competitor price architecture.
• Strong commercial judgement
• Self-motivated individual, capable of driving change at pace
• Good understanding of supply base and respectful way of working.
• Passion for product.
  
  

What We Can Offer You

• Staff Discount
• Uniform allowance
• Pension scheme
• Refer a Friend scheme
• Training and career development
• Supportive and rewarding culture
  
  

Applicants must have a wealth of Sportswear and Activewear experience.

Skills

Time Keeping

Buying

management

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Purchasing and Supply Chain

• Industries

  Retail

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