Junior Buyer - Apparel

The Warehouse Group; Auckland; On-site; NZD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in New Zealand is seeking a Junior Buyer for its Apparel category. The role involves managing product ranges, analyzing market data, and collaborating with internal teams to achieve sales and inventory targets. Ideal candidates are proactive, resilient, and possess strong negotiation skills. The company offers a dynamic work environment with various benefits, ensuring a supportive team culture.

Benefits

Flexible Working Arrangements

Team Member Discounts

Wellbeing Support

Leave Benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in buying or as a Buyer’s Assistant.
• Strong analytical skills for data-led decisions.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of a category within the apparel portfolio.
• Work cross-functionally to develop product strategies.
• Build strong supplier relationships and negotiate effectively.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Negotiation Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Experience as Junior Buyer

Category Specialist Experience

Job description

Company Description

Are you passionate about fashion, commercially driven, and ready to grow your career in buying? We’re on the lookout for a confident and collaborative Junior Buyer to join our team.

The Warehouse Group (TWG) has become a Kiwi household name, and we proudly recognise the role that we play in communities throughout New Zealand. We are the largest general merchandise retailer in NZ across The Warehouse, Warehouse Stationery & Noel Leeming. We are at an exciting point in our journey where our focus is on becoming brand-centric, aiming to deliver an unparalleled experience for our customers. Agility and collaboration are cornerstones of our work culture, empowering us to adapt swiftly and work seamlessly together. By being brand-led and retail-focused, we are intentional about placing the right people in the right roles, allowing us to perform work that truly makes a difference.

Job Description

We are seeking a Junior Buyer – Apparel who’s energised by fashion trends, retail dynamics, and the opportunity to bring meaningful ranges to life for Kiwi wardrobes.

Apparel is one of our highest-profile and most competitive categories, and we’re looking for someone who thrives on the pace and challenge of staying one step ahead. From activewear to basics, seasonal stories to trend edits — you’ll be working at the heart of the action, helping to build compelling ranges that are both on-brand and commercially strong.

You will also navigate challenges confidently, dealing with a wide variety of personalities, from collaborative partners to hard-nosed negotiators, both internally and externally.

You’ll be responsible for:

• Take ownership of a category within our apparel portfolio, supported by a Senior Buyer, to deliver sales, margin, and inventory targets.

• Work cross-functionally to develop and execute holistic product strategies aligned with customer insights and business objectives.

• Partner with the Planner to build robust assortments and seasonal activations, ensuring optimal stock and delivery timings.

• Leverage market research, competitor analysis, and sales data to identify opportunities and shape our buying decisions.

• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, with the confidence to negotiate effectively and secure the best outcomes for our business.

• Collaborate closely with key internal stakeholders, maintaining momentum and engagement within your squad to deliver results.

• Communicate insights, performance updates, and recommendations to senior stakeholders to inform business decisions.

Qualifications

You’re someone who naturally steps forward to take ownership and initiative, while remaining adaptable and collaborative in the face of challenges. You balance strong operational know-how with a customer-first and commercial lens, seeing both the details and the bigger picture.

You are resilient, confident, and ready to influence positive outcomes – even when navigating strong personalities or challenging negotiations.

You will bring:

• Previous experience as a Junior Buyer, Trainee Buyer, or strong Buyer’s Assistant/Category Specialist experience,

• A proactive mindset, with the ability to zoom out and connect the dots to the wider business goals.

• Strong analytical skills with the confidence to make data-led decisions.

• Resilience and adaptability when managing competing priorities and working with various stakeholder personalities.

• Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills.

• A collaborative approach – you enjoy working as part of a team and keeping others engaged.

• A passion for learning and curiosity to continuously improve.

Additional Information

We offer a dynamic, flexible and supportive team environment working with like-minded people within a business that cares about and recognises individuals.

We also offer a range of benefits that work for you, your lifestyle and your career which include flexible working arrangements, team member discounts, wellbeing support, leave benefits and more!

MAKE SUSTAINABLE LIVING EASY AND AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE!don’t hesitate. APPLY