Experienced Buyer - Footwear & Accessories

Job Title:                       Buyer

Job Purpose:                To develop a commercially exciting range, driving sales, trading in season and working in partnership with the creative team and in line with overall brand strategy to hit profit targets. To ensure that the range is well balanced and that the supplier strategy supports our requirements in order to deliver to Hobbs quality levels in a flexible and affordable way.

Key Relationships:       Head of Buying. Merchandiser, Design, Technical,                                         Logistics, Operations and other Heads of Department, Supply Chain.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Responsible to:            Head of Buying

Role and Responsibilities

• To be responsible for developing and delivering exciting and commercial product ranges, driving profits, and influencing the brand’s product strategy.
• Working closely with our Design and Merchandising teams, you’ll be anticipating and meeting the needs of our customer and developing strong links with our suppliers to ensure our product is produced to the original design, delivered on time and within budget.
• Working with your Merchandiser to create a new season product plan for your department, based on lessons learnt and forward strategy.
• To prepare a well- balanced shopping list ready for design in-line with the critical path.
• Together with the merchandiser, trade the department in season, suggesting repeats, cancellations, amendments to launch dates and any other action to ensure seasonal plan is met.
• In conjunction with the Head of Buying and Fabric Sourcing Manager, agree key fabric strategy for each phase, maximising on best sellers and ensuring that fabrics perform to Hobbs’ quality level
• Responsible for meeting the margin target for the total season, escalating issues with proposals, to the Head of Buying.
• Focus on detail and quality to ensure Hobbs strong, premium hand-writing and high quality standards are maintained.
• Work closely with the design and merchandising teams to formulate phasing, stories and deliver to category targets successfully and on time to achieve a 95% in stock figure for each drop, ensuring that all the team members keep to the key dates and deliveries, escalating to the HOB if required.
• Continuously monitor market activity, including regular comp shops and gather market intelligence including pricing analysis – to be able to demonstrate using this information to make improvements to the Hobbs range.
• Control the amount of development and ensure that all design packs fit the brief.
• Attend and lead fit sessions in conjunction with the technical team.
• Responsible for keeping fabric/yarn liability to a minimum and at all times refer back to this stock to ensure it is used by the end of a season.
• In season, to communicate the vision for specific ranges to other departments such as ecommerce and retail operations to ensure that key drivers are identified by the business. To oversee the AB conducting minor product briefing meetings such as Copy Briefing.
• Ensure that at all times you and your direct reports adhere to buying ethically and that the Company’s Corporate Social Responsibilities and ethical standards are followed.
• Attend trade fairs, visiting suppliers regularly in the UK & oversees to select & plan new ranges. To ensure that the timings of these trips is planned well in advance to align with strategic requirements.
• To continuously react to trends and trade the department, identifying gaps in the range.
• Work closely with the DC and VM to ensure that new products or concepts can be supported by our existing structure or that the necessary changes have been made before launch. (Packaging, display etc).
• To ensure that the Buying team are on top of all administration, that product data is accurately maintained, and to run spot checks as required.
• To be fully conversant in all the financial metrics which impact the sourcing and pricing of product. To understand the core merchandising metrics and be fully up to date with current performance.
• Working with the technical team to ensure that the necessary wearer trials are conducted.

Suppliers:

• Together with the Head of Buying formulate a strategy for the supply base, ensuring that product requirements, quality and compliance are met. Ensure that the suppliers are clear on our objectives each season, key dates and their performance at all times.
• To oversee the introduction of new suppliers and to be responsible for the overall communication with the supply base on behalf of all departments.
• To ensure that we plan mix of business by supplier per season, communicating key changes clearly to the supply base and seeking sign off for deviation from plan.
• To be responsible for the selection of suppliers for each product, to program plan pre-season to secure the best margin possible.
• Ensure all suppliers comply with code of conduct.
• Initiate regular supplier visits to the Hobbs office and to their premises in line with key dates to maintain a close relationship.
• Ensure the sourcing strategy allows for the best flexibility, price and product & thus minimising risk.

Team:

• To manage and develop the Assistant buyer and BAA.