Objective:

Babyshop is a leading baby and kids’ retailer in the Middle East, offering a wide range of high-quality products for babies, toddlers, and children. We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and a seamless shopping experience for parents and caregivers. Our mission is to create a community where parents can access information, support, and resources to make their parenting journey more enjoyable and fulfilling.

We are looking for a Senior Buyer with experience in buying clothing for girlswear. The job holder will be responsible for developing strategic buying plans for the assigned department/category. The job holder will also ensure smooth buying operations through vendor identification, evaluation and selection, in compliance with the contract principles to achieve the strategic and financial objectives of the concept.

Responsibilities:

Buying Budget and Planning

• Determine buying requirements and formulate buying plan and budget for the assigned department/category.
• Align the buying plan to the overall department/category business plan and the merchandize strategy as laid down by the department/ category manager.
• Help meet the profit targets by ensuring timely procurement of the department/category Merchandise.
• Pursue cost reduction measures through centralized bulk buying and/ or selecting appropriate vendor mix, scanning the environment for benchmarks and constantly improving the purchase process.

Vendor Management

• Develop an adequate vendor base for the concept through active scouting and negotiation / renegotiation.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers and negotiate the best deals with them for procuring merchandise.
• Maintain contact with vendors; update list of vendors for bidding purposes; attend product demonstrations, obtain samples and literature regarding potential products and vendor capabilities and confer with end users.
• Identify, evaluate and select appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives.

Order Management

• Place orders based on the buying plan and ensure merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement.
• Implement financial and credit services agreement with the vendor that maximize profit and positively contribute to cash flow.
• Track the merchandise transportation from supplier to landmark distribution centre and ensure smooth flow of goods.
• Follow the reverse logistics guidelines to send the faulty / damaged goods back to the vendor.

Vendor and Product Research

• Identify and leverage alternate buying opportunities to source products and to ensure that company maintains its competitive edge by constant renegotiation.
• Ensure effective communication, collation and follow-up on various product requirements and findings obtained from the sales/store data.
• Keep abreast of the latest trends in buying and discuss the same with the department/category Manager from time to time to assess realignment of existing processes.
• Gather information from Industry trade groups or through trade shows/market visits.

Requirements:

• Graduate degree in Fashion
• Minimum 8 to 10 years of experience of which 6 years in retail industry in buying and merchandising role
• Good knowledge of buying processes
• Good knowledge of retail brands
• Planning and organising skills
• Networking skills
• Attention to detail