Buyer - Grocery

Sainsbury's; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer is looking for a Buyer to join their Grocery division. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing category plans, negotiating product costs, and implementing pricing strategies. You should have proven experience in a similar commercial role and be skilled in data analysis. This position offers an opportunity to work with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and influence key stakeholders. The role comes with competitive benefits including discounts and a performance-related bonus.

Benefits

Colleague discount

Pensions scheme

Life cover

Performance-related bonus

Annual holiday allowance

Cycle-to-work scheme

Private healthcare

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Buyer in a retail environment.
• Ability to analyze financial, market, and customer data.
• Experience with pricing and promotional strategies.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the buying and selling strategy for your category.
• Develop and execute customer-focused category plans.
• Manage supplier relationships and drive innovation within the brand.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Organization

Collaboration

Job description

Our Food Commercial division is at the heart of delivering a market-leading offer to our customers. We are currently looking for a Buyer to join our Grocery division. We work collaboratively across supermarket, convenience, and online channels to ensure our ranges are competitive, distinctive, and aligned with our vision to help everyone eat better. You'll join a passionate and innovative team that thrives on understanding customer needs and shaping the future of food retailing.

More about the role

As a Buyer, you will own and deliver the buying and selling strategy for your category, ensuring commercial performance across all channels. Day-to-day, you'll develop and execute customer-focused category plans, negotiate optimum product costs, and implement pricing and promotional strategies. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams on projects such as new product development, range reviews, and cost-saving initiatives through consolidation and tenders.

This role offers the opportunity to influence key stakeholders, manage supplier relationships, and drive innovation within our own-brand portfolio. You’ll play a critical role in delivering value competitiveness and growing market share while supporting our sustainability goals.

More about you

You’ll have proven experience in buying or a similar commercial role, with the ability to analyse financial, market, and customer data to identify opportunities. Strong negotiation skills and a solid understanding of product cost drivers are essential. You’ll demonstrate excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead projects and influence outcomes.

We’re looking for someone who is highly organised, commercially astute, and able to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment. Collaboration and adaptability are key, as you’ll work with a wide range of teams to deliver shared objectives.

Essential criteria

• Experience as a Buyer within a retail environment with proven ability to develop and execute category plans aligned to business strategy.
• Demonstrable experience in negotiating product costs and managing supplier relationships.
• Ability to analyse financial, market, and customer data to identify opportunities.
• Experience implementing pricing and promotional strategies to deliver commercial advantage.
• Proficiency in using buying systems and processes to manage product ranges effectively.

Benefits

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whatever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new – whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business – and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working. When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits.

Starting off with a colleague discount, you’ll be able to get 10% off at Sainsbury’s, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks. This increases to 15% off at Sainsbury’s every Friday and Saturday and 15% off at Argos every payday. We’ve also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover. You may also be eligible for a performance‑related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.

Your wellbeing is important to us too. You’ll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy additional holiday. We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest‑free car loan of up to £10k, cycle‑to‑work scheme, health cash plans, pay advance (where you can access some of your pay before payday) and access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers. And if you ever need it, there’s also an Employee Assistance Programme; you will also be eligible for private healthcare too.

Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.

Please see www.sainsburys.jobs for a range of our benefits (note, length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).