Buyer - Grocery & GM

Sainsbury's; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK retailer is looking for a Buyer to manage the buying strategy for grocery and general merchandise. This role involves leading category planning, negotiating with suppliers, and driving product development. Candidates should have strong commercial skills and the ability to analyze market data. It's a dynamic role within a collaborative team, offering a range of benefits and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Colleague discount of 10% after 4 weeks

Performance-related bonus of up to 20%

Annual holiday allowance

Health cash plans

Private healthcare eligibility

Health cash plans

Employee Assistance Programme

Private healthcare

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and deliver results.
• Experience in trading, negotiation, and managing complex supply chains.
• Effective communication and influencing skills to engage stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver the buying and selling strategy for the product category.
• Lead category planning and negotiate with suppliers.
• Implement pricing and promotional strategies.

Skills

Effective communication

Negotiation skills

Commercial acumen

Analytical skills

Project management

Job description

Our Food Commercial team is at the heart of delivering a market-leading food offer to millions of customers across our supermarket, convenience, and online channels. We work collaboratively to create distinctive, value-competitive ranges that reflect customer needs and trends. Joining us means being part of a dynamic, innovative division that shapes the future of food retailing.

More about the role

As a Buyer withing Sainsbury's Grocery and General Merchandise (GM), you will own and deliver the buying and selling strategy for your product category, ensuring sustainable growth in market share and cash profit. You will manage the commercial performance of the range across all channels, working closely with cross-functional teams to review and enhance product ranges, identify opportunities for new product development, and drive cost efficiencies.

Day-to-day, you will lead category planning, negotiate with suppliers, implement pricing and promotional strategies, and support own-brand development. You will also influence stakeholders and manage projects that deliver real impact for our customers and business.

More about you

You will bring proven commercial acumen and the ability to analyse market and financial data to identify opportunities. Your negotiation skills and understanding of supply chain cost drivers will enable you to deliver optimal outcomes. You will be confident in managing multiple priorities and engaging stakeholders effectively.

We are looking for someone who demonstrates accountability, clear communication, and collaborative behaviours. You should be adaptable, proactive, and committed to delivering results while supporting the wider team’s success.

Essential criteria

• Effective communication and influencing skills to engage stakeholders and gain commitment
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and deliver results
• Experience of working in a commercial role within a retailer
• Experience in trading, negotiation and managing complex supply chains

Qualifications

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever 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. Here are some of them:

• Starting off with 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 pay day.
• We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover.
• You'll also be able to share in our success as you may 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 pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers.
• And if you ever need it there is 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).

Responsibilities

We’d all like amazing work to do, and real work-life balance. That’s waiting for you at Sainsbury’s. Here, everything in our Sainsbury’s stores starts out in Sainsbury’s Commercial. Whether it’s the product, proposition, packaging or price, or the fact that something tastes great, our team is responsible for all food, non- food and Clothing items available in Sainsbury’s stores, digitally and on demand. You’ll discover it’s incredibly fast‑paced. People here are in it together and not afraid to take risks. They’re enthusiastic too, and their amazing leadership team is right behind them. The knowledge and experience you gain here could set you up for career moves anywhere else in the business. So, if you’re passionate about your products and just as hungry to learn, you’ll fit in perfectly.