Textile Buyer
Employment Type Full Time Job Description
Dunnes Stores is Ireland’s leading retailer positioned at the cutting edge of food, fashion and home retailing. We have over 130 stores in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain, a strong e commerce business and are expanding our service and product offering all the time.
A Retail Buyer is responsible for planning, developing and sourcing commercial trend driven ranges to deliver the sales and profitability budget targets of the department for which they have accountability. Ensuring KPI’s are achieved.
Responsibilities:
1. Build the financial budget and range plan per season in partnership with the Department Merchandiser
2. Deliver a commercially viable balanced product range at competitive prices, ensuring quantity for each region & online appropriate for the varying seasonality and sales opportunities, including where appropriate Online only product ranges / selections.
3. Analyse all aspects of sales performance in conjunction with merchandiser – product, colour, size, region & Online
4. Ensure that sustainability road map is invested in, setting targets within the dept and ensuring these are met so as to enable DUNNES STORES to achieve it overall targets.
5. Manage supplier relationships effectively to evaluate performance based on product, innovation, reliability, sustainability, competitiveness & quality.
6. Review existing supply base and co-ordinate new factories & sources with the Sustainability / Ethical Sourcing team to ensure they meet our standards of quality and innovation ensuring that they shall add value to current supply base.
7. Coordinate with relevant Buyers across the business groups to negotiate and leverage the best cost and value from the supply base on common fabrications, trims and garment
8. Collaborate with Design / Buyers in other Divisions to review key commodities which are bought in multiple business areas to align to the appropriate aesthetic and price architecture
9. Working with the Design Teams to translate key fabric and trends into commercial consumer products that are true to the attributes and aspirations of the relevant brand
10. Evaluate and benchmark competition for strengths, weaknesses, methods of merchandising and opportunities within the ranges. Develop an action plan to ensure we remain ahead of competitors in store and on line.
11. Work with departmental Merchandiser to agree sales budgets, stock intake and monitoring sales in store and on-line. Reviewing OTB’s and forecasted performance – ensuring to react accordingly.
12. Implement and maintain quality standards by agreeing specifications and making key judgments on styling, look, fit make-up and trim of garments.
13. Approve styling and fit details with commercial tolerance and approve size grading’s in conjunction with the technical team.
14. Making sure all safety elements are strictly adhered to
15. Identify the key seasonal items / looks for press & media coverage and ensuring the quantities are available to support based on store / online demand.
16. Sign off the store cads / merchandising plans with store operations
17. Visit stores regularly to support operations staff and gain direct customer insight and feedback
18. Coach and develop team through on the job training and mentoring.
19. Liaise with the department Head to monitor individual and team development.