Buyer, Middle East

Job Description 

The A&F Co. Middle East Buyer will work as part of our EMEA team to grow the business through the development of a localized product strategy for the A&F brand for the Middle East region. This role will drive assortment architecture and product selection, partnering with the EMEA Buying and Planning teams in London as well as the Global Home Office to ensure our global brand is regionally relevant. Though the role will be primarily focused on our UAE and Kuwait omnichannel business, the Middle East Buyer is expected to partner closely with our regional Franchise partners in KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman to build product synergies across the Middle East region. Success in this role will be highly dependent upon building and maintaining exceptional relationships with internal and external teams across regions and thus requires regular travel to Columbus, Ohio, USA and London, UK for key business milestones. 

This role is based in Dubai, UAE and reports to the Managing Director of Middle East. 

What Will You Be Doing? 

• Leverage regional market knowledge to provide sales forecast guidance and drive forecast accuracy 
• Review store forecasts and recommend actions to maximize key traffic peaks and holidays while mitigating forecast volatility 
• Optimize inventory across Middle East stores to achieve brand, gender, and department stock goals 
• Collaborate with EMEA HO teams to maximize inventory efficiency between regions and channels 
• Develop and execute region-specific inventory liquidation plans 
• Translate business hindsight’s into future season forecast and inventory strategies 
• Interface with regional stores, supply chain, logistics, and trade partners 
• Visit store locations and provide feedback to EMEA and GHO on in-store experience opportunities 
• Execute regionally specific item and size strategies from pre-season to in-season 
• Provide guidance on new store set up inclusive of third-party execution 

What Do You Need To Bring? 

• Drive Middle East region growth by creating and executing a regional product assortment architecture for the A&F brand 
• Leverage market knowledge to distort product assortment set cadence, breadth, and depth to local consumer preference and align with competitive landscape 
• Ensure assortments are consistent with global brand strategy and identity 
• Develop region-exclusive styles as necessary in partnership with Global Design 
• Connect product assortment strategies with marketing priorities and campaigns  
• Be the expert in current selling and historical selling knowledge for the region, translating in-season analyses to decisions and actions to maximize sales and margin 
• Leverage financial and strategic capabilities by influencing promotions, pricing, visual merchandising, and inventory flow 
• Intimately understand regional shopping behavior, brand perceptions, and product preferences and interests by regularly patterning the market and visiting our stores 
• Execute against key milestones and seasonal processes, including: 
• Detailed seasonal hindsight and strategic line review process at the department and style level to inform future strategy and identify line list needs 
• Present weekly selling updates as part of a regular Monday Business Review process, evaluating performance and identifying strengths, opportunities and recommended actions 
• Travel to A&F’s Global Home Office in Columbus, Ohio to make seasonal assortment decisions in Assortment Reviews quarterly, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys 
• Leverage monthly Chase, Buy, Cut Reviews to fine-tune assortments virtually and respond to trend 
• Participate in monthly MPC meetings to reconcile current performance with future merchandise plans, identifying upside and downside strategies 

Our Company 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global retailer of iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. At A&F Co., we’re here for our associates, customers and communities on the journey to being and becoming who they are – and because no journey is the same, we strive to create an inclusive culture, where everyone is free to share ideas.  

Our Values 

We lead with purpose and always put our people first, which is evidenced by our Great Place to Work™ Certification, as well as being a 2021 recipient of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Retail, and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for 16 consecutive years. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.  

What You'll Get

As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you’ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F is committed to providing simple, competitive, and comprehensive benefits that align with our Company’s culture and values, but most importantly – with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:  

• Incentive bonus program
• Annual companywide review process
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Associate assistance program
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
• Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
• Paid Caregiver Leave
• Mobile Stipend
• Paid time off & one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
• Merchandise discount on all of our brands
• Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
• Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
• Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER