Buyer - Apparel

JD Sports Fashion; Bury; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports fashion retailer seeks a candidate for a role focused on buying apparel. Responsibilities include negotiating with brands, analyzing sales, and managing budgets, requiring strong analytical skills and familiarity with sports fashion trends. The role offers development opportunities across multi-brands in the UK and internationally, along with benefits like staff discounts and professional growth programs.

Benefits

Staff discount

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience of buying sports fashion is advantageous.
• Ability to work under own initiative is essential.
• Extensive knowledge of product area and market required.

Responsibilities

• Represent the Buying function on Apparel.
• Negotiate with selected brands regarding trading terms.
• Analyze previous week's sales and propose actions.

Skills

Experience of buying branded goods

Strong understanding of sports fashion trends

Analytical and numerical skills

Fully literate in Microsoft Office

Organisational skills

Creative and trend-led thinking

Job description

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, the JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with our colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world. JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019 and continues to grow in the UK and internationally. We want to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. To be a part of this successful company and help us to achieve this you will have the desire to ingrain our strategic goals of being a people-led, innovative and customer-focused organisation which provides operational excellence whilst identifying new areas of growth as part of our day to day objectives.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Representing the Buying function on Apparel
• Attending all appointments, with involvement in selection and editing of product
• Attending all product launches throughout the year as specified
• Attending all relevant trade shows
• Analysis and review of previous weeks sales with the merchandising department to propose and drive actions for the week ahead
• Negotiation with selected brands re trading terms and conditions.
• Being constantly aware of new brands and opportunities to diversify and drive department/category sales
• Budget negotiation and planning within internal teams and external brands
• Negotiation with brands re distribution agreements
• Working independently in a creative and trend led environment
• Managing budgets and OTB on in seasons and forward budgets
• Present ranges for sign off with Senior Buyers, Buying Director and Merchandising Director.
• Preparation and presentation of performance in trade meetings
• Proposals to assist driving sales in your relevant department

Core Competencies

• Extensive knowledge of our store base and website
• Confidence within own decisions and product selection.
• Comfortable in driving decisions on file and being accountable for all actions.
• Ability to act independently
• Extensive knowledge of product area and market
• Ability to look forward and predict trends both current and future
• Highly numerate and skilled within budget forecasting and planning

Skills/Experience/Knowledge needed

• Experience of buying Sports Fashion is advantageous
• Experience of buying branded goods is essential
• Strong understanding and knowledge of current and upcoming sports fashion trends at a high street and premium level price point.
• Be able to exercise a high degree of analytical and numerical skills
• Fully literate in Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Word, Excel
• Organisational skills are essential
• Be able to work under own initiative
• A creative and trend led individual

What we will offer you

• Development linked to your role with the business
• An opportunity to work across multi-brands both UK and Internationally
• We know our colleagues work tirelessly to make JD Sports the success it is today and in turn, we offer them some amazing benefits including staff Discount On JD Group and other brands within the organisation and personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.

Thank you for your time #JD