Homewares Buyer

Hawk 3 Talent Solutions; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency in the UK is seeking an experienced Homewares Buyer to join an innovative team. This role offers the opportunity to develop diverse homewares ranging from textiles to furniture in a fast-paced environment. Responsibilities include product development, supplier negotiations, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of buying experience in homewares, strong analytical skills, and a creative flair. This position offers a salary of £38,000 and hybrid working options.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in buying for homewares or related categories.
• Proven experience in product development and direct work with manufacturers.
• Strong commercial and analytical abilities.

Responsibilities

• Create and develop commercially viable homewares ranges.
• Build relationships with global suppliers and lead negotiations.
• Own the critical path for product launches.

Skills

Creative product development

Supplier negotiation

Trend research

Analytical abilities

Multi-channel retail experience

Job description

Homewares Buyer

Leeds (Hybrid working available when practical, with some travel required)

Salary : £38,000

• Working Hours : 40 hours per week on a flexitime basis (minimum of 8 hours per day between 7:30am–6:30pm, covering our core hours of 10:00am–4:00pm)
• Type : Permanent

About the Role

On behalf of our client, we are seeking an experienced and passionate Homewares Buyer to join an exciting and dynamic team. This is a unique opportunity to lead and develop a diverse homewares offering, covering textiles, décor, soft furnishings, lighting, and furniture. In this role, you will blend creative, own‑brand product development with strategic sourcing, curating ranges that reflect a distinctive and eclectic style. This is not a traditional corporate buying role—rather, it offers autonomy, pace, and variety, making it an ideal fit for someone who thrives in a fast‑moving, non‑corporate, and hands‑on environment.

Key Responsibilities

Range Development & Product Creation

• Create and develop exciting, commercially viable homewares ranges across multiple categories, including textiles, soft furnishings, lighting, and furniture.
• Drive both own‑brand product development (with a focus on textiles) and sourced product selection.
• Continuously research trends, materials, competitor activity, and customer preferences to identify growth opportunities.
• Present new product proposals and range builds to senior leadership for sign‑off.

Supplier Management & Sourcing

• Build and maintain strong, lasting relationships with global suppliers.
• Lead supplier meetings, focusing on product development, cost price negotiations, minimum quantities, and delivery dates.
• Assess the quality, sustainability, compliance, and ethical standards of all products.

Trading, Planning & Critical Path

• Own the critical path for all products, ensuring timely launches and 100% accuracy in product data, costing, and style set‑up.
• Place initial orders in line with sales forecasts and targets.
• Analyse trading performance to maximise opportunities and mitigate risks across all product lines.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with the Creative, Photography, and Design teams to ensure product ranges are visually represented in the most compelling way for online and catalogue imagery.
• Collaborate with Digital Trading, Web Merchandising, and Marketing to optimise product presentation on all digital platforms.
• Support Direct Mail campaigns by selecting products that align with the storytelling and messaging.
• Present your range to external partners, including wholesale and marketplace channels, to maximise sales opportunities.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, support, and develop a Buyers Assistant, helping nurture their skills and capability within the team.
• Role model company values of warmth, positivity, and resilience, supporting a collaborative team environment.

Person Specification

Essential :

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience in buying for homewares, fashion, or a related consumer product category.
• Proven experience in product development and / or working directly with manufacturers (textiles experience is highly advantageous).
• Strong commercial and analytical abilities to optimise trading performance.
• Confident and skilled negotiator with global supplier experience.
• Experience in multi‑channel retail, with e‑commerce exposure being highly desirable.
• Competent with business systems and buying tools.

Desirable :

• Experience in wholesaling or exposure to marketplace environments.
• Involvement in creative content, imagery, or digital product optimisation.
• Merchandisers with a creative flair and strong homewares knowledge looking to transition into buying.

If you would like to apply then please email your CV to (url removed) or call Jade on (phone number removed)

Closing date is 12.01.2026 - Please note this could change subject to suitable applications.

Hawk 3 Talent Solutions are acting as an employment agency on behalf of its client.

By applying for the above position and providing your personal data to us you understand that your data will be processed in line with our Privacy Policy. To view our full Privacy Policy please visit our website.

Hawk 3 Talent Solutions are committed to the selection, recruitment and development of the best people, basing judgements solely on suitability for the job. Whilst we endeavour to respond to all applications individually, due to high volumes, this is not always possible. Thank you for your interest in this role and we look forward to working with you in the future.