Overview
Location
Hybrid < 1-2 days in the office/Support Centre on Hams Hall Distribution Park, Coleshill.
Why The Works?
We don’t just sell products. We inspire reading, learning, creativity and play.
You sell the paint that turns someone into an artist. You provide the book that unleashes an inner author. You supply the games that help bring families together. You give someone the puzzle book that reconnects someone with a late family member’s memory.
You never know who someone will become. So with your passion, and our products, you will help ignite the spark in helping people unleash their creativity, find new passions, hobbies, or rekindle fond memories.
The unseen possibilities are limitless, and it all starts with you.
Become a Seasonal Buyer
Reporting to the Buying Manager, you will be part of the Stationary and Seasonal Team focusing on Strategy, Briefing, Selection, Critical Path Management and Trade. Developing and executing strategies for sourcing products, leveraging market data to identify trends and find opportunities for growth. Lead new product development initiatives by seeking unique offerings whilst collaborating with creative teams to ensure alignment with internal trends. You will curate the best product range balancing private label and branded items and implementing clear change plans for exiting lines. Manage the critical path to launch ranges on time, overseeing junior buyers and assistants. Drive sales and profit through proactive trade actions, including promotions, clearance, pricing strategies and seasonal space optimisation in collaboration with marketing.
Financial accountability for circa £7m with accountability for all seasonal events including Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.
Your Mission
- You will be responsible for setting your department budget for sales, margin and margin % and held accountable to the delivery of these key business metrics.
- Helping your manager keep tabs on supplier performance, finding new potential suppliers, and nurturing long-term relationships with them.
- Checking out our stores and website regularly, keeping an eye on what customers are into, trends, and what our competitors are up to.
- Working with suppliers and quality teams to make sure our products are top-notch. Managing the critical path to ensure QA team and involved at the key times and working with them to always ensure product and ethical compliance.
- Keeping all the systems and trackers in your department up to date, including sales performance, Sell through trackers, critical path management tools and KVI price tracking.
- Team up with the merchandisers, to make sure we’re making the most of sales opportunities and getting products out to our customers when we say we will. Work with them to manage cost of markdown and be in regular WSSI meetings to agree any changes to budget and OTB spend accordingly.
- Putting together internal communications and presentations.
- Presenting to Board members your ranges for their sign off, completing all required sign off packs consistently
Skills/Behaviours That Will Set You Apart
- Able to thrive in a fast-paced trading environment.
- Product development & sourcing experience – Ability to work with a broad supplier base and develop own brand product.
- Commercial experience of 18 months/2 years essential, can demonstrate strong commercial acumen.
- Proven analytical, influencing & presentation skills.
- Confident, decisive, innovative, and creative.
- Highly numerate with high level of accuracy.
- Adaptable approach to working and ability to remain calm under pressure.
- Influencing, stakeholder management & negotiation skills
- Leadership skills to manage a Junior Buyer and/or Buying Assistant
- Actively manage self-development programme to achieve Buyer potential (working objectives).
- Computer literacy to include working knowledge of Microsoft systems (Word, Excel, and Outlook).
- Ability to multitask and prioritise workload alongside good time management.
- Always represent The Works in a professional manner at relevant trade shows, supplier meetings and internal meetings.
Full clean driving license/prepared to travel when required.
Our PERKS really are ‘The Works’
- 25% Colleague Discount! – Plus, exclusive Double Discount days!
- MyWorks – Access exclusive online discounts across hundreds of retailers, holidays, utilities deals, tech and more!
- Holiday – 33 days including bank holidays.
- Holiday Purchase – Purchase an additional 5 days
- Can-Do Academy – Grow your skills and career with instant access to further training and development in areas that interest you.
- Wagestream – Claim early access to 50% of your wages as you earn them – for when ‘life’ happens!
- Share Scheme – Unleash your inner Monopoly mogul and own a piece of The Works!
- 24/7 support for you and your family – Through our partnership with the Retail Trust who provide an Employee Assistance Programme and so much more!
- Healthcare Cash Plan – To support your everyday healthcare costs
- And loads more! – Long Service Awards, pension, life assurance, Cycle to Work and optional charity giving.
Our Purpose
To inspire reading. learning, creativity and play – making lives more fulfilled.
Our Values
We are Crafty | We are Caring | We are Can-do
We Listen. We Care
Each year, we run an anonymous colleague engagement survey. This is so important for us to hear your feedback and suggestions. We want to know what’s going great, and what needs a couple of tweaks to help make The Works the best place you’ve ever worked! You’ll have opportunity to help give us that direction.
Promoting Diversity, Inclusion, and Applying Reasonable Adjustments
At The Works, we are proud to have an inclusive culture where everyone truly feels able to be themselves. Our roles are open to all, including under-represented groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, carers & members of the LGBTQ+ community (including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, non-binary, or use another term).
We are open to discussing part-time and flexible working and, where possible, will try to support this. If you need reasonable adjustments to apply for this role, please contact recruitment@theworks.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help!
