Senior Buying Manager

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and commercially driven Buying Manager to lead and grow assigned categories within Home Centre. The role is responsible for developing category strategies, driving sales and profitability, managing vendor relationships, optimizing product assortments, and delivering a compelling customer proposition aligned with Home Centre's brand vision. The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical capabilities, market awareness, negotiation skills, and a passion for creating customer-centric product assortments.

Responsibilities

• Category & Business Management
• Develop and execute category growth plans aligned with business objectives.
• Own category sales, margin, inventory, and market share targets.
• Analyze business performance and identify opportunities for growth and profitability.
• Monitor category KPIs and implement corrective actions to achieve targets.

• Product Assortment & Buying
• Build customer-relevant assortments across assigned categories.
• Drive seasonal buying, range reviews, and product lifecycle management.
• Identify emerging trends and consumer preferences to develop winning product propositions.
• Ensure optimal product mix across price points and customer segments.

• Vendor & Brand Management
• Build strong relationships with brand partners.
• Lead commercial negotiations for pricing, margins, rebates, promotional support, and payment terms.
• Evaluate vendor performance and develop strategic partnerships.
• Identify new sourcing opportunities to enhance assortment and competitiveness.

• Sales & Profitability
• Deliver topline and bottom-line targets for the category.
• Work closely with Planning and Supply Chain teams to optimize inventory productivity.
• Improve sell-through, stock turns, and gross margin return on investment (GMROI).
• Drive promotional and markdown strategies to maximize sales and profitability.

• Market & Consumer Insights
• Conduct competitor benchmarking and market research.
• Analyze customer insights and buying behavior.
• Track industry trends and recommend new product opportunities.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Visual Merchandising, Marketing, Planning, Supply Chain, and Store Operations teams.
• Support marketing campaigns, launches, and promotional events.
• Ensure effective execution of category strategies across all sales channels.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Sales Growth
• Gross Margin %
• Category Profitability
• Inventory Turnover
• Stock Cover & Availability
• Sell-Through Performance
• Vendor Funding & Commercial Income
• Markdown Optimization
• New Product Success Rate
• Market Share Growth

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Retail Management, Marketing, Fashion, Home Furnishing, or related field.
• MBA preferred.
• 6-8 years of experience in Buying, Category Management, Brand Management, or Merchandising.
• Experience within Home, Furniture, Home Décor, Kitchenware, Furnishings, or Retail industry preferred.
• Proven track record of driving category growth and profitability.

Required Skills

• Strong commercial acumen
• Buying and assortment planning
• Vendor negotiation and relationship management
• Business analytics and financial planning
• Market intelligence and trend forecasting
• Inventory and demand planning
• Stakeholder management
• Advanced Excel and retail reporting tools
• Strong communication and presentation skills

Preferred Skills

• Customer First Mindset
• Ownership & Accountability
• Strategic Thinking
• Results Orientation
• Decision Making
• Collaboration & Influencing
• Agility & Innovation