Junior Buyer

Alghanim Industries - Kuwait

Gold Career Provider This employer achieved a Gold Career Provider status based on their record of hiring on Bayt.com.

Job Description

• To deliver a comprehensive, profitable and customer focused product range to the business.
• To deliver a commercial product range that compliments and enhances the total Home Furnishings product offering influenced by all the relevant external factors including market tastes, trends, fashion influences and innovation.
• To continually strive to exceed our customers’ expectations with regards product choice, value for money, quality and innovation.
• To select and effectively manage a world class supply base that can contribute to the success and profitability of our business through quality products at the right price, innovation and on time delivery. • To achieve key result areas - sales, intake margin, gross margin, cost of goods sold and stock budgets
• To deliver these financial targets by ensuring the correct assortment of core, fashion and promotional lines with-in the good/better/best framework
• Manages replenishment and repeat orders for all items through team of Assistant Buyer / Buying Associate
• To select, buy and deliver a range that represents the values of the brand
• Responsible for negotiating cost prices and establishing terms of trading and payment terms with all suppliers that minimize the cost of goods for Alghanim
• Identifies world class suppliers that can deliver to the business - securing exclusive supply
• Responsible for identifying and managing promotions/discounts within gross margin budgets
• Manages product quality through a QC team and protects the reputation of Alghanim
• Responsible for managing the workload, priorities, output and results of the buying team.
• Uphold the Alghanim core values with both internal and external stakeholders

Key Tasks:

• Prepares buying plans based on sales budget/forecast with the Merchandisers
• Manages product performance, including sell through, to recommend price action, promotional activity or reorders with the Merchandiser.
• Attends international Trade Fairs and Exhibitions to select products, monitor market trends/influences and in order to maintain relationships with key suppliers
• Works closely with Merchandising to ensure that optimal stock levels are being maintained
• Clarifies roles and responsibilities of the team and briefs colleagues about what is needed
• Interacts with all cross functional teams, including Retail Operations, Sales, Marketing, Merchandising, Finance, China Office, Warehouse, Group Control and IT
• Identifies market opportunities for range extensions in order to grow the category, in line with overall strategy of the HF business
• Ensure effective delivery of all promotional campaigns, discounts and product launches within the agreed promotional calendar.
• Interacts with Sales colleagues on a regular basis to ensure that customer feedback is communicated in order to maximise opportunities within the range
• Regular visit to both owned stores and competitors’ stores to keep up to date with external market trends, competitors’ ranges, pricing strategies, promotions etc.
• Sets goals and objectives for the team and monitors against actual performance
• Uses market information to develop plans to promote new and existing products
• Develop and coach the buying team members

Skills

• Preferably educated to degree level or equivalent in a Business related discipline
• Minimum 2-3 years international buying or sourcing experience, preferably within a Home Furnishings sector
• Product development or product marketing experience
• Excellent understanding of retail principles and issues, including daily sales versus forecasts and seasonal planning
• Customer focused
• Excellent negotiation skills
• Analytical with good commercial acumen
• Strong project management skills
• Passion for product
• Understanding of fashion trends and lifestyle
• Excellent communication skills - both verbal and written
• Well organized and excellent administration skills
• Self motivated and confident, with the ability to work independently
• Quality focused
• Tasks focused and results driven
• Ability to set and maintain deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail
• Experience in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, SAP is desirable
• Flexible and adapts well to change

About This Company

Alghanim Industries has committed to becoming the most successful and admired company in the region.

Our mission and success is founded upon our core principles of quality, service, innovation and integrity. We place a high value on commitment to and investment in the people who contribute to the continued growth, diversification and success of our business. We are:

· A leading trading and industrial conglomerate in the Middle East with more than 30 businesses and a multi-billion turnover, with operations in 40 countries

· The largest and most diversified privately-owned company in Kuwait with more than 20 in-house brands and over 300brand affiliations

· Market leader in almost every major business in each major geography that we operate

· A Company with a long history of success built on the early adoption of globally-proven business practices

· A highly-respected family and brand name

· Employing around 12,000 employees from more than 45 nationalities

Renowned for our pioneering and dynamic business strategy and management philosophy, we are dedicated to finding, developing and training talented and energetic people who want to grow with us.

We currently operate more than 30 business divisions spanning a broad spectrum of industry sectors (listed below) and head office functions, such as human resources, finance, business development and legal.

Our business units are involved in the following sectors:

· Advertising and media
· Automotive sales and services
· Consumer credit
· Consumer engineering (home automation, air-conditioning and elevators)
· Document management
· FMCG wholesale and distribution
· Insurance
· Manufacturing of industrial goods in building and construction materials and structures
· Projects engineering (building management and electro-mechanical solutions)
· Retailing in building and home construction products/tools
· Retailing in consumer electronics
· Retailing in home furnishings
· Shipping and transportation services
· Travel