Associate Buyer - Utrecht, Nederland - Foot Locker

Foot Locker

Geverifieerd bedrijf

Utrecht, Nederland

1 week geleden

Geplaatst door:

Daan Van den Berg

werver van beBee

Beschrijving

Overview:
The Associate Buyer is an entry position into the Buyer role. The position is responsible for a category or department(s) under the coaching and supervision of the Buying Director.

They will be required to meet and where possible exceed the sales, gross margin and turn targets for their relevant category or department(s).

The Associate Buyer is responsible for generating customer engagement by being ahead of the game with what our consumer wants, consumer data through omni channels, financial/business analysis in order to make informed, game changing decisions.

This is a key partnership role and strong collaboration with the vendors, planning, merchandising, marketing, eCommerce and Customer Experience & Sales teams are critical to develop short and long term strategies to deliver on the customer experience, maximize business opportunities and drive top line sales.

Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the Senior Director Buying, the Associate Buyer is responsible for identifying 'key items' that align with the future collections or story we want to tell our consumer that will drive product heat and sales based on past and predicted vendor performance & future fashion trends to help determine product strategy for coming seasons.

With our consumer segments at the center of our vision the Associate Buyer plays an important role in creating a deeper, more relevant connection to our customers.

To fuel a shared passion for selfexpression
To create unrivaled lifestyle experiences for our customers
To be at the heart of the sport and sneaker community

The Associate Buyer will have a key role in developing the most compelling and unique assortments whilst engaging consumers with powerful story-telling.

One of the key Associate Buyer responsibilities is to establish effective working relationships with vendors to strengthen business and support company strategies.

Past and predicted vendor

performance & fashion trends will help the Associate Buyer determine product strategy for the coming seasons, within which the Associate Buyer should identify 'key items' that are expected to drive department sales throughout the current period.

To be a successful in this role Associate Buyer, you will need commercial awareness, creative flair and excellent analytical skills

Consumer Centric

Identifies European trends through the eyes of the customer embraces the "sneaker culture"
Gains critical marketplace /competitive insights that impact the business
Brief vendors on relevant trends for the Foot Locker muse
Drive the creative trend direction for the department, identifying new products, seasonal themes and vendors
Influences the vendors in incorporating relevant trends into the line

Future Thinking

Develop and build a strategic business plan for the department based on current performance and future trends
Ensure department merchandise strategies are consistent with company's division level strategic plan
Anticipate future trends, opportunities and consequences accurately and creates a plan of action to get in front of them

Range Planning

Build a relevant assortment that incorporates current and future business trends
Ensure there is tiered assortment relevant to our consumer segments
Develop assortments based on regional trends and relevance
Understands components of OTB and uses forward thinking to manage the business
Together with Planner, ensure style plan aligns with Financial Plan, Merchandise Strategy, and business plan

Collaboration

Builds working relationships with vendors and colleagues to strengthen business and support company strategies
Compile and analyze vendor results at department and category level
Partners with vendors early to influence the product development and assortment.
Ensure department vendor strategy and targets align with division strategy
Recommend and support joint vendor initiatives

In Season Management

Analyzes business & consumer data that create insights that lead to action plans
Understands customer cross channel shopping behavior and how to leverage buys through all channels
Recommend category and brand actions (promotions, marketing, markdowns and cancellations) to Key business partners
Partner with Planner to create 12 month rolling forecast linked to financial plans and review with divisional management

Qualifications:

Bachelor degree in Fashion/Business or equivalent retail experience
24 years' experience in merchandising, planning, eCommerce, Marketing or equivalent role
Strong understanding of "youth culture" market
Understanding of the European consumer and regional differences
Demonstrates understanding of our product, customer and fashion trends
Ability to communicate clearly and collaborate with crossfunctional teams
Proficient in Microsoft office spreadsheet functionality (Excel, PowerPoint etc.)
Strong financial acumen and naturally anal