Buyer (Maternity Cover)

Watsons Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Watsons Singapore is seeking a Buyer to support development and implementation of strategies to maximize retail sales and profits through stock control, cataloguing, pricing policy and promotions. The role spans online and offline environments within a fast-paced FMCG retail setting.

The ideal candidate will have 2+ years of merchandising experience, strong negotiation and analytical skills, and the ability to work with multiple stakeholders to drive category growth.

Qualifications

• Diploma/Degree in Business Management/Sales & Marketing.
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in retail merchandising/product development in a fast-paced FMCG or challenging retail environment.

Responsibilities

• Source for new brands and products; review existing merchandise to ensure competitiveness, both O+O.
• Manage the entire acquisition process for new products; from sourcing, negotiating of prices and terms of contract.
• Manage plans for stock levels, pre-empt and respond to changes in demand and supply and logistics-related challenges.
• Work closely with relevant internal and external parties on activities to build brand awareness of new products and rejuvenate sales of slow moving products.
• Perform regular competitor analysis, both O+O, to generate new ideas and determine price points.
• Source for new supplier/vendors and manage with existing suppliers/vendors ensuring quality service.
• Negotiate with suppliers for better product assortment, costing and support for A&P programs.
• Build strong relationships with vendors focusing on vendor management, brand acquisition and development.
• To ensure shelf and inventory on store level are adequately stocked and perform monthly stock reconciliations.

Skills

merchandising

vendor management

negotiation

analytical skills

communication

ms office

relationship building

Education

Business Management / Sales & Marketing degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

As the Buyer, he/she will support the development and implementation of key strategies to maximize retail sales and achieve planned profit targets through stock control, cataloguing, pricing policy, merchandise promotions. The incumbent for this role should ideally have merchandising experience, both online and offline, in a retail and/or FMCG environment.

What Awaits You:

Consumers

• Understand consumers’ needs and wants, analyze their evolving shopping and buying patterns to increase sales and market share, for both online & offline markets
• Keep abreast with market/customer trends and respond appropriately, and anticipate/forecast future trends to make insightful buying decisions, bearing in mind the change/switch in shopping behaviour between online and offline markets

Product

• Source for new brands and products; review existing merchandise to ensure competitiveness, both O+O
• Manage the entire acquisition process for new products; from sourcing, negotiating of prices and terms of contract
• Manage plans for stock levels, pre-empt and respond to changes in demand and supply and logistics-related challenges
• Work closely with relevant internal and external parties on activities to build brand awareness of new products, rejuvenate sales of slow moving products and to drive sales for existing products.
• Perform regular competitor analysis, both O+O, to generate new ideas, increase intelligence and to determine price points.
• Source for new supplier / vendors, manage with existing suppliers/vendors ensuring quality service is delivered at all times
• Ensure suppliers provide quality and safe products
• Negotiation with suppliers for better product assortment, better costing and support for A&P programs
• Build strong relationships with vendors, focusing on vendor management, brand acquisition and development

Sales/Profitability of Merchandise

• Conduct regular review of key performance indicators to keep abreast with latest market situations
• Manage the ROI of space to ensure achievement of targets for financial year
• Grow category sales; maximize margin to ensure profit growth

Stock Management

• To ensure shelf & inventory on store level are adequately stocked
• To perform monthly stock reconciliations

Perform any other duties as assigned by Management

We are excited if you have:

Education & Experience

• Diploma/Degree in Business Management/Sales & Marketing
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in retail merchandising/product development, attained in a fast-paced FMCG or challenging retail environment, preferably in an O+O retailer setting.

Personal Attributes

• A confident self-starter with a high level of drive, energy, integrity and professionalism
• Assertive, self-motivated, committed, determined, diligent and trustworthy
• Results oriented, resourceful, resilient, proactive, and able to work under pressure and tight deadlines
• Ability to strive in a fast-paced, high volume and dynamic environment
• Passionate about consumer trends and able to pro-actively be creative
• Digitally savvy & active online, especially for Health & Beauty channel
• Resourceful, a team player
• Good foresight in market trend
• Good in relationship building and networking (esp with suppliers, vendor & team)
• Proficient in MS Office applications
• Analytical and Numeric Skills
• Sourcing and Negotiations Skill
• Decision making and time management skills
• Good Communication and Interpersonal skills
• Able to build alliance with different stakeholders for executing the online and offline retail initiatives
• A good understanding of consumer behavior in the new social world both online and offline is valued