Group Essentials Buyer

Topps Group; Leicester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company bonus (up to 30% of base)

Company car/allowance

Private medical insurance

Staff discount

Pension

Life assurance

Generous holiday allowance

Flexible working

Free on-site parking

Employee discounts on products

Job summary

Topps Group in Leicester seeks a senior buying professional to lead the Essentials category strategy, manage the sourcing plan, and deliver the right products on time. You will collaborate with the Head of Buying to drive cost-efficiency, supplier performance and procurement innovation across Group trading units.

The role requires strong buying experience, international sourcing, and the ability to lead a team while building strong supplier relationships.

Qualifications

• Strong buying experience in retail.
• International sourcing and overseas travel experience.
• Proven ability to negotiate complex contracts and terms.
• Leadership skills with ability to mentor junior buyers.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Develop 1–3 year category plan and strategy for Essentials product categories.
• Source exclusive ranges and optimise supplier performance.
• Negotiate contracts and terms with new and existing suppliers.
• Lead and mentor a team of Junior Buyers and collaborate cross-functionally.
• Drive cost-efficiency, margin improvement and ethical sourcing.

Skills

Buying experience

International sourcing

Overseas travel

Negotiation skills

Leadership/mgmt

Communication

Job description

About The Role

There's plenty about Topps Tiles that might surprise you. Like the scale of our Support Office in Leicester. We have Finance, Marketing, Buying, Central Operations, HR, Property, Customer Service and IT all under one roof. Tight-knit teams of talented people working together and working hard to get things done and drive results. But then, would you expect anything less from an ambitious, dynamic, market-leading, multi-million-pound retail business? After delivering our 20% market share goal of “one in five” in 2023, we have launched our new goal – Mission 365 – targeting £365 million of sales

PURPOSE

As a senior member of the team, reporting into the Head of Buying, this role is responsible for delivering the buying and ranging strategy of Essentials product categories in line with the Group Trade strategy. Working closely with the Head of Buying you will develop and manage our product portfolio, through carrying out the sourcing plan within the prescribed categories and delivering the right products at the right time. This role drives cost-efficiency, supplier performance, and procurement innovation, whilst supporting cross-functional stakeholders to optimise supply chain outcomes.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Customer/Strategy/Plan:

• Developing a category plan & strategy for 1-3 years that includes market leading products and suppliers
• To ensure that the customer can buy from a wide range of products and range
• Identify range opportunities& new categories with the Head of Buying for Topps Group trading units
• To ensure a market leading range which appeals to all targeted customer groups
• To source ‘exclusive’ ranges bespoke for Topps Group customers
• Oversight of all Group Essentials purchases to leverage the Groups sourcing scale to maximum effect
• Negotiate complex contracts and commercial terms with new and existing suppliers
• Analyse market trends and supplier capabilities to inform purchasing decisions
• Review currentsourcing methods and suppliers to ensure value for money and ethical sourcing
• To provide the business with real time data on competition, current trends and fashion
• Manage supplier relationships, trading agreements and performance
• Development of group owned brands and proprietary brand partnerships

People/Leadership:

• Lead and develop and mentor a team of Junior Buyers and provide wider leadership across the business
• To provide the link between the supply chain and distribution
• To build, maintain and enhance supplier relationships and promote brand
• Work cross functionally across the business to align buying with business needs

Financial/Commercials:

• Maximise all opportunities to ‘buy better’, driving industry leading gross margins and stock turn
• Identify cost‑saving opportunities and contribute to budget control measures
• Lead the team of Buyers to exceed KPI’s and carry out reviews / feedback identifying areas for improvement.
• Overall accountability for product spend, rebate and gross margin targets for area
• To manage projects to agreed times and investmentlevels
• To review the price point structure and create clear range architecture for colleague and customers
• Commercial awareness of competitor activity

Risk/Process:

• Work with Head of Buying topromote best practice risk and process management regarding sign off process for range cycles and continuous refresh of product within store
• Ensure regular reviews are undertaken in terms of price point structure.
• Ensure business risk to currency and region is effectivelymanaged
• Ensure solid exit plan for discontinued stock
• Reduce stock capacity

DECISION MAKING/FREEDOM TO ACT

• Freedom to act day to day within a broad framework
• Able to develop a category plan that supports the overall company goals
• Financial sign off as per the business expenses policy
• Fast paced product introduction
• Authority over £80M of purchases annually
• Strategic thinking and proposals to support Head of Buying

STAKEHOLDERS

• Supply partners
• External suppliers
• All internal Customers: Topps Tiles, CTD, ProTiler, Tile Warehouse, Parkside, Fired Earth
• Yellow Band Managers: Supply chain, Operations, Merchandising, Marketing, L&D, Legal, H&S & Finance
• Executive Team and Leadership Group – focus on trading unit leaders (customers)

DIMENSIONS

Financial:

• Responsible for a supplier spend of circa £60m per annum
• Category accounts for 50% of total Topps Group sales
• Improvement of supplier trading terms and additional revenue streams
• Development of increased margin upside from effective relationships and sourcing
• Identify Group sourcing harmonisation opportunities

Essential:

• Strong buying experience and a proven track record of over achievement and high performance in a retail buying role
• International sourcing experience
• Able to undertake overseas travel
• Success in developing healthy long term supplier relationships
• Constructively challenge opinions and status quo
• Demonstrate creative thinking, use of initiative and ‘thinking outside the box’
• Highly commercial with exceptional organisational, negotiation and influencing skills
• Professional and collaborative in approach, able to develop strong working relationships across the business and with suppliers
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to challenge as well as inspire and coach
• Technically knowledgeable
• Outstanding communication skills
• An ambassador for the business
• Ability to coach, develop and mentor
• Highly numerate

What we’ll do for you

In a culture where hard work is recognised and great results are rewarded; you can look forward to a company bonus that will give you a share of our success (up to 30% of your base salary). Then there’s a company car/car allowance, private medical, generous staff discount, pension and life assurance, a holiday allowance that increases with length of service and a wide range of other benefits. Plus, flexible working, free on-site parking, generous discounts on products and services and more. A lot more. We’re committed to promoting talent from within too, which means you’ll be well-supported to build a rewarding career with an individual development plan and lots of training on offer.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Topps Group we believe that diversity isn’t just a box to tick. We are committed to creating an authentic ‘One Topps’ culture, where our colleagues feel included and supported regardless of who they are or where they are from

We actively welcome applications from individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, ages, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, just let us know—we’re here to support you.

Join us in shaping a culture where inclusion is more than a policy—it’s a daily practice.

A career with Topps Group

Think you know Topps Group? Think again.

There's plenty about Topps Group that might surprise you. Like the fact that you don't need to be a DIY or tile expert to work in one of our stores or our Leicester based Support Centre.

Or the fact that that we're Britain's largest specialist tile retailer, with more than 1,600 in-store specialists providing world class customer service to homeowners and tradespeople in over 300 stores nationwide.