Buyer

Axon Moore; Manchester; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Axon Moore is recruiting a commercially driven Buyer to lead range building and product development for bedding and soft furnishings in a fast-growing online home retailer. You will collaborate with Design, Merchandising, Ecommerce and Supply Chain to move concepts from initial brief to launch.

The role requires 3+ years in buying within multi-channel retail, strong negotiation skills, and a data-driven approach to driving sales and margin.

Qualifications

• Around 3+ years' buying experience within an online or multichannel retailer.
• Experience buying within Home, Seasonal, Soft Furnishings or a comparable fast-paced category.
• Experience managing critical paths and delivering ranges to deadline.
• Experience negotiating directly with suppliers on cost, terms and lead times.
• Experience managing samples and product approvals through to bulk production.
• Strong commercial awareness and confidence analysing sales and margin data.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence presenting ranges and commercial information.
• Good Excel and IT skills.

Responsibilities

• Build commercially focused ranges balancing core, seasonal and new products.
• Manage the product development process from initial concept through to launch.
• Work closely with Design and senior buying colleagues throughout the development process.
• Oversee and sign off samples, including lab dips, strike offs, red seals and gold seals.
• Identify emerging trends, colours, fabrics and customer preferences and translate these into commercially viable products.
• Review product quality and specifications throughout the sample process.
• Deliver agreed sales, intake margin and achieved margin targets.
• Negotiate cost prices, payment terms, MOQs and lead times with suppliers.
• Analyse sales at category, option and SKU level.
• Identify opportunities for repeats, extensions, promotions and product exits.
• Contribute to promotional and markdown planning.
• Prepare and present range reviews, trade updates and post-season analysis.
• Manage the critical path from design brief through to product launch.
• Work with Far East factories and agents to ensure products are delivered on time and to agreed quality standards.
• Develop strong supplier relationships and identify new sourcing opportunities.
• Work closely with Supply Chain on shipping, lead times and intake.
• Proactively manage and resolve delays or issues.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the target customer and value home market.
• Monitor competitors, pricing, ranges and product trends.
• Work with Ecommerce to ensure products are accurately presented online.
• Support marketplace and social commerce channels.
• Brief and supply products for photography, campaigns and influencer activity.

Skills

Buying experience

Supplier negotiation

Critical path management

Commercial awareness

Data analysis

Tools

Excel

IT skills

Job description

About the opportunity

We are recruiting on behalf of a fast-growing online home retailer for a Buyer to join its Home Textiles team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially focused Buyer to take ownership of product development and range building across bedding and filled bedding, helping to deliver on-trend, high-quality products at competitive prices.

The successful candidate will work closely with Design, Merchandising, Ecommerce and Supply Chain, managing the journey from initial product concept through to launch.

Key responsibilities

Range Building & Product Development

• Build commercially focused ranges balancing core, seasonal and new products.
• Manage the product development process from initial concept through to launch.
• Work closely with Design and senior buying colleagues throughout the development process.
• Oversee and sign off samples, including lab dips, strike offs, red seals and gold seals.
• Identify emerging trends, colours, fabrics and customer preferences and translate these into commercially viable products.
• Review product quality and specifications throughout the sample process.

Commercial & Financial

• Deliver agreed sales, intake margin and achieved margin targets.
• Negotiate cost prices, payment terms, MOQs and lead times with suppliers.
• Analyse sales at category, option and SKU level.
• Identify opportunities for repeats, extensions, promotions and product exits.
• Contribute to promotional and markdown planning.
• Prepare and present range reviews, trade updates and post-season analysis.

Supplier Management & Supply Chain

• Manage the critical path from design brief through to product launch.
• Work with Far East factories and agents to ensure products are delivered on time and to agreed quality standards.
• Develop strong supplier relationships and identify new sourcing opportunities.
• Work closely with Supply Chain on shipping, lead times and intake.
• Proactively manage and resolve delays or issues.

Customer, Market & Multichannel Trading

• Maintain a strong understanding of the target customer and value home market.
• Monitor competitors, pricing, ranges and product trends.
• Work with Ecommerce to ensure products are accurately presented online.
• Support marketplace and social commerce channels.
• Brief and supply products for photography, campaigns and influencer activity.

About you

• Around 3+ years' buying experience within an online or multichannel retailer.
• Experience buying within Home, Seasonal, Soft Furnishings or a comparable fast‑paced category.
• Experience managing critical paths and delivering ranges to deadline.
• Experience negotiating directly with suppliers on cost, terms and lead times.
• Experience managing samples and product approvals through to bulk production.
• Strong commercial awareness and confidence analysing sales and margin data.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence presenting ranges and commercial information.
• Good Excel and IT skills.

Desirable experience

• Overseas sourcing and factory visits.
• Textiles, bedding or soft furnishings.
• Experience growing a product area from a standing start.
• Strong knowledge of value home retailers and the wider home market.
• Understanding of textile fabrics, constructions and performance characteristics.

The successful candidate will be commercially driven, product passionate and comfortable taking ownership in a fast-paced environment. You'll need to be someone who enjoys spotting trends, challenging suppliers, managing detail and working collaboratively across Buying, Merchandising, Design, Ecommerce and Supply Chain.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing online retail business where you can have genuine ownership of your category and influence the product proposition.