Lead Buyer

The Lead Buyer is responsible for conducting data-driven analysis and forecasting to estimate future demand for products to steer sourcing and buying decisions related to merchandise for our retail shops. Key Responsibilities: Plan, develop, and deliver merchandise ranges to budget, schedule, and customer profile in line with the department and company strategy. Conduct data-driven demand forecasting that includes analysis of internal/external factors, historical sales data, etc. to estimate future/ongoing order needs. Analyze stock-holding data and develop/recommend diverse plans to ensure inventory is cleared at expected sell-through rate. Conduct analysis (e. g.

, of historical sales data, market/competition) to ensure appropriate retail prices. Provide analytical support to maximize product sales performance. Support the Head of Retail & Merchandise Planning to conduct monthly communication meetings with the retail teams and circulate minutes of meetings afterward. Assist the Head of Retail & Merchandise Planning and the Director of Retail & Merchandising with the preparation of annual department budgets. Oversee submission of new purchase requests to the merchandise committee, recommending appropriate order quantities by analyzing past sales patterns and ensuring that stock levels are optimized.

Provide merchandise administrators with the information required to prepare purchase request approval forms for submission to the merchandise committee. Deliver buying projects within specified budget parameters, maintaining strong gross margins, and expediting orders within target lead times and coordinating with stakeholders to pre-empt obstacles and troubleshoot anticipated issues. Support the Merchandise Manager by ensuring the milestones related to merchandise development projects are achieved on time, flagging delays, and troubleshooting anticipated issues.

Support the Merchandise Manager with creation of a standardized merchandise project critical path document with agreed-upon project milestones that meet target lead times for delivery of bespoke/readymade product. Liaise closely with the Logistics Team to facilitate and expedite the timely shipment of supplier orders. Recommend enhancements to existing processes to achieve further efficiencies. Support the Retail Manager in expediting corporate sales orders. Provide support and recommendations for shop displays to enhance sales and clearance of slow-moving stock.

Maintain awareness of trends in the wider retail industry, museum retail, local market, and new suppliers, keeping updated through research and trade show visits. Qualifications: Higher secondary or degree-level qualification requiredAt least 5 years of relevant experience in merchandise buyingWell-developed computing skills, including the understanding of relevant IT products and software (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)