Buyer Mr Price

Mr Price; Durban; On-site; ZAR 250 000 - 350 000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent retail fashion company in Durban seeks a Buyer with 3–4 years of buying experience and a diploma or degree in Fashion Design. The role involves driving current trade, managing supplier relationships, and compiling post mortem reports on product performance. Strong knowledge of garment construction, fabrics, and negotiation skills is essential. The ideal candidate will collaborate closely with a team and must be adaptable in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 3–4 years of buying experience in a retail environment.
• Manufacturing experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Drive current trade and develop proactive action plans.
• Monitor sales by style and manage supplier relationships.
• Compile post mortem reports and seasonal strategies.
• Align booking process with production timelines.

Skills

Garment Construction

Fabrics

Fibres

Negotiation Skills

Presentation Skills

Trading Mentality

Education

Diploma / Degree in Fashion Design or Clothing Management

Job description

To offer our customer mass market trend‑led fashionable, category and item‑dominant assortments of the wanted items for the season at great value on an ELDP (Every Day Low Prices) basis, with a focus in future to be in‑house design‑led, driven by current trade.

Current Trade

• Drive current trade through reaction and agility to ensure that planned sales are met or exceeded.
• Develop proactive action plans that address product performance issues and action accordingly in collaboration with planner and feedback to management.
• Communicate any changes from current trade that impact other departments such as resource, marketing and visual merchandising.
• Monitor and manage sales by style, pre‑production timelines orders and performance milestones to ensure delivery performance through reaction to current trade.
• Manage Supplier relationships and resolve delivery issues with suppliers.
• Conduct relevant competitor analysis and store visits and relay findings to the Buying Brand Merchant and team.

Post Mortem & Seasonal Strategy

• Compile and present to senior business leaders a post mortem on trade reports, including good, bad and ugly based, competitor analysis, supplier performance, actual product execution as well as marketing and trend feedback.
• Formulate a sub‑category strategy that forms the basic of the seasonal assortment framework, ensuring item dominance and clarity of offer for our customer, incorporating trend and post mortem learns for the foundation of this strategy.
• Formulate a seasonal Supplier strategy with your team, inclusive of the resource department that is well considered, risk balanced, allowing for an agile, highly reactive strategy whereby the golden rule forms the basic of the supplier partnership.
• Compile and present to senior business leaders a seasonal strategy including sub cats against the determined.

Assortment, Booking & Production

• Based on strategy calls, confirm trends, source samples and present range.
• Confirm supplier roll up with the resource department.
• Work with designers to ensure that graphics, artwork and CAD building are proactively briefed and produced timeously for review.
• Responsible for assortment building in collaboration with planner, present back to Brand Merchants if applicable.
• In collaboration with the greater team in preparing for review ensuring that the range is aligned with seasonal strategic objectives.
• Prepare range and verify that all KPI’s, width & depth, PMO & sales targets are aligned.
• Align the booking process with production timelines and in‑store deliveries in collaboration with planner and resource.
• Ensure the fit and pre‑production sample process delivers the right quality for the right price, and is aligned with the production process and timelines.
• Confirm and raise purchase orders and any amendments in full detail.

Travel

• Travel locally and abroad to assess current market trends and provide detailed feedback accordingly.

Team Commitment

• Contribute proactively in all team meetings and working sessions.
• Provide direction and coaching to the Trainee Buyer and / or Junior Buyer.

Education

Diploma / Degree: Fashion Design or Clothing Management.

Experience

• 3–4 Years Buying Experience.
• Manufacturing Experience (advantageous).

Knowledge / Skills

• Knowledge of Garment Construction, Fabrics, Fibres & Quality.
• Trading Mentality.
• Negotiation & Presentation Skills.

Product Knowledge

Understanding of Merchandise Process. Mr Price Group Limited is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to Employment Equity.