Buying Assistant - Carvela Footwear

We Are One

At Kurt Geiger we celebrate individuality, believing our differences make us more powerful as a collective.

Diversity, equality and inclusion are at the core of who we are and we strive to reflect this in every corner of our company culture, starting with the promotion of equal opportunities.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is granted the opportunity to thrive as their authentic self.

THE ROLE:
To provide support to the Buying team and to assist in the selection of commercial and market-focused collections.

PRODUCT SELECTION & RANGE BUILDING

• Assist the buyer in the selection of customer and market focused collections by keeping a keen eye on the market, competition, current and forthcoming fashion trends
• Actively investigate and propose new product opportunities and requirements to ensure sales are optimised.

• Organise and produce the Buy Photopack following initial selection. Ensure any amendments are always promptly updated
• Manage Ad Campaign and Press sample requirements
• Work with Merchandising to assist in the range building process and ensure the range plan is updated
• Once signed off, prepare Bought Range Photopacks and distribute to Wholesale, Ecomm, VM and Press; Prepare Cluster and Delivery packs for Merch & VM
• Ensure Wholesale are kept up to date with any changes or additions to the buy and in-season repeats

ADMINISTRATION

• Sending Order and Repeat Proposals
• Liaise with Finance for any invoice and debit queries
• PO management
• Working with the team to ensure the Critical Path is followed
• Logistics management and Supplier / System Updates
• QC management and communication

PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

• Sustain and develop a close relationship with the Merchandising team that will ensure in-season trading issues are dealt with promptly and efficiently
• Prepare in-season and post mortem photopacks as required
• Work alongside the Design and Merchandising teams in preparation of seasonal reviews and future season Shopping Plans
• Monitor faulty returns rate and advise any styles which go above 2%, liaise with warehouse to get faulty stock back if requested, in order to recall/take discount
• Work with Retail Ops to relay any necessary information to stores, such as if a style is faulty or to action a recall

RETAIL

• Point of contact for stores requesting delivery/buy/product information
• Liaise with the Ecommerce Team to improve and maximise offer on site, provide feedback on missing product, image quality, copywriting, format

• Carry out regular store visits to ensure ranges are presented correctly, checking for quality issues, discuss range performance and product requirements with store staff to gauge Customer/Store Profile and information that can used to optimise range building, provide feedback to Buyer and Merchandising
• Work with PD & Design to present sample collections and product training to retail staff in Trunk Shows
• Prepare the Product Books to be sent to stores to support staff training

VM

• Point of contact for any Buy related queries
• Ensure VM are kept up to date with any changes or additions to the buy and in-season repeats
• Support the team with showroom set up and maintenance throughout the season
• Manage your time to ensure key deadlines are achieved
• Undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Buying and Design team

GENERAL

KPI's

• Support the Buying team in delivering budgeted sales
• Support the Buying in adhering to the agreed stock plan

Requirements

• Fashion Buying degree (strongly preferred) or equivalent
• Previous experience within a Buying Admin role preferable (placement year or internship experience will be considered)
• Passionate about gaining experience and developing a career in Buying
• Proactive, hard-working & excellent at building relationships
• Advanced Excel skills (advantageous)
• Hard-working, proactive and self-motivated
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload

Benefits

• Competitive basic salary
• Pension and life assurance
• Enviable discounts
• Gym Discounts
• Half Day, Pay Day Friday (once per month)
• Sample Sales
• Summer Hours
• RetailTrust support

And so much more!

If you’re successful, you will work for a business which recognises that amazing people are the key to driving our business forward and fulfil our vision of being the world’s leading multi-channel retailer of luxury branded shoes and accessories. We are a fast-paced business where no two days are the same, so you will need to be adaptable; but we will reward your hard-work, commitment and loyalty with a fantastic benefits package and very real opportunities for progression.

We Are One: For Love | For Diversity | For Change | For Equality | For Kindness | For Freedom | Against Racism