Dedicated professional with proven performance in management, leadership and communication. Detail-oriented in problem-solving and planning. Ready to make an immediate contribution to your organisation. Highly organised with a drive to exceed expectations. Ability to analyse data, develop strategies, and provide solutions to complex problems. Seeking to leverage skills and knowledge to contribute to team success.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
- Monitoring of the retail landscape, identify trends and risks, and addressing market challenges, while effectively resolving any issues
- Collaborating cross-departmentally, acting as champion for all things partner, trade and inventory focused
- Liaising with marketing efforts in regard to opportunities, strategies and stock relevance
- Develop ing an understanding of gaps within the inventory pool and find new partners that can be used to fill these gaps profitably
- Developing a clear sales pitch that aligns the company’s commercial objectives with the issues faced by potential retail partners
- Onboarding new clients
- Financial forecasting that support the company’s overarching goals of profitability and volume sales
- Building relationships with key partners and stakeholders across our retailer base, cultivating a sense of trust and alignment with retail partners
- Developing and introduce commercial strategies on a retailer by retailer basis that leverages their stock and opportunities to yield as high a revenue as practicable
- Monitoring commercial performance across all partnership
Identify, manage and negate commercial risks
- Strong negotiation skills
- Ability to seek out and identify new brands and trends
- Excellent knowledge of all Microsoft packages including Excel, PowerPoint and Work
- Increasing intake margins
- Comprehensive analytical skills
- Managing and developing junior staff members and working as a cohesive team
- Great attention to detail
- Developing and maintaining strong supplier relationships
- Controlling stock levels and minimising average departmental covers
- Ability to make decisions in high pressure environments
- Proactive trading in season
- Creativity
- Confident in presenting to senior management and the wider team
- Driving department performance through a passion to exceed targets
Work history
Junior Buyer (Previously Assistant Buyer)House of Fraser
Baker St, Marylebone, London, UKFull Time
Currently I am the Junior Buyer reporting into the Head of Buying and responsible for purchasing Branded Accessories in all 56 bricks & mortar stores and online as well as supporting the franchise stores in Abu Dhabi and Nanjing. The area for which I am buying encompasses all non-apparel products, with 53 premium brands across Core and Seasonal including Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, Armani and Calvin Klein. The nature of the role is extremely fast paced and therefore it is imperative that I support the Senior Buyer and effectively manage my Buying Assistants so as to ensure deadlines are met. Working as part of a large team I use my trend knowledge, head office and shop floor experience to maximise sales whilst always keeping customer expectations and satisfaction at the forefront of my mind. Maintaining and improving relationships both externally and internally is essential to the success that as a team we have enjoyed and continue to achieve.
I work closely with the merchandising team to manage and trade the OTB which currently stands at £28m per season, ensuring stock arrives into store and online at the optimum time, furthermore exceeding customer expectations. I was solely responsible for purchasing in AW16 as I covered the Senior Buyers maternity leave. For this season at week 47 (pre sale) the department sales stood at £20.4m, had achieved a growth of +9% LFL with stock -2% and a department average sell thru of 73%. Strong negotiation skills are essential in the role; from agreeing supplier terms to in-season trading and sale buys whilst ensuring that this is in line with the brand and departmental strategy. With accessories in particular having a strong performance within Menswear we have set ourselves a 5 year plan of increasing from a 20% to 30% of the total sales mix for the category whilst reducing stocks by 17% in order to decrease covers. In order to attain this goal it is important to grow our current brands sales as well as attract and identify new brands. As trend and customer profiles and trends transpose it is essential to adjust with them. With this in mind for SS18 I introduced Vilebrequin, Northface, Moschino, Versace and Stighlorgan into the brand portfolio, all of which we have already placed repeat orders. A large focus of the JB position is marketing; whereby an active part is played in securing window space, promotion through online and social channels as well in-store brand activity and display.
Buying AssistantHouse of Fraser
- Baker St, Marylebone, London, UKFull Time
As a Buying Assistant my main responsibilities were maintaining the critical path and order raising. Other important aspects of the role were effective sample management, reviewing and presenting back regarding competitor activity on a weekly basis, resolving distribution centre, stock receipting issues and calling in LC:M and Milan Fashion Week tickets. As I progressed I would assist the Assistant Buyer/Senior Buyer at appointments and I also personally bought a selection of the contemporary t-shirt brands.
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Skills
- Buying
- Trend Forecasting
- Fashion Menswear
- Sales Analysis
- Brand Strategy
- Fashion E-commerce
Education
U
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2:1 BSc (Hons) Business and Retail ManagementUniversity of Surrey
- United Kingdom
University of Surrey Student of the Year nominee