At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the buying strategy for flooring and develop market-leading product ranges.
- Company: Join one of the UK's most successful retail businesses with a dynamic culture.
- Benefits: Excellent salary, bonus, and benefits with hybrid working options.
- Other info: Collaborate with talented teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Why this job: Shape the future of a major category and make a real commercial impact.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in buying, strong negotiation skills, and leadership abilities.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Location: Hybrid (UK)
Salary: Excellent Salary + Bonus + Benefits
The Opportunity
We're looking for an exceptional Head of Buying - Flooring to lead the commercial strategy for one of the UK's most successful retail businesses. This is a high-profile leadership role where you'll take full ownership of the flooring category, driving commercial performance, developing market-leading ranges and building strong supplier partnerships across the UK and internationally. Reporting into the Commercial Director, you'll lead a talented buying team while working closely with merchandising, product development, marketing, operations and supply chain to deliver profitable growth. If you're a commercially driven buying leader who thrives on combining strategic thinking with hands-on execution, we'd love to hear from you.
The Role
- Develop and deliver the long-term buying and category strategy for flooring.
- Build commercially successful product ranges across carpets, laminate, luxury vinyl tile (LVT), engineered wood, vinyl and accessories.
- Identify emerging consumer trends and translate them into market-leading product propositions.
- Lead supplier selection, negotiations and contract management with UK and international manufacturers.
- Drive margin improvement, cost optimisation and commercial performance across the category.
- Work closely with merchandising to optimise range architecture, pricing and stock investment.
- Use customer, competitor and market insight to identify new opportunities for growth.
- Lead, coach and develop a high-performing buying team.
- Collaborate with marketing and retail teams to ensure successful product launches and promotional activity.
- Build strong relationships across the wider business, influencing stakeholders at every level.
About You
You'll be an experienced senior buying professional with a proven track record of delivering commercial success within flooring or a closely related category. You'll ideally bring:
- Significant buying experience within flooring, home improvement, DIY, interiors or building products.
- Previous experience leading and developing buying teams.
- Strong commercial acumen with an excellent understanding of category management.
- Exceptional negotiation and supplier management skills.
- Experience sourcing products internationally.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to drive decisions.
- A customer-first mindset and passion for product.
- Excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- The ability to balance strategic planning with operational execution.
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to shape the future of a major category within a growing business. You'll have genuine influence over product strategy, supplier partnerships and commercial performance while leading a talented team and working alongside an ambitious leadership group. If you're ready to take ownership of a significant buying function and make a real commercial impact, we'd love to hear from you.
Head of Buying - Flooring in London employer: All The Top Bananas
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StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Buying - Flooring in London
✨Get Your Retail Game On
Start by getting to know the local retail scene. Make a list of stores that align with your vibe and visit them. You'll be surprised at how many job openings come from chatting with staff or managers in-store. Plus, showing that you have a genuine interest in their brand can make you stand out when applying for that full-time role!
✨Join Retail Networks and Forums
Tap into retail-specific communities and forums, whether online or in-person. Platforms like Retail Week or local retail meetups can provide invaluable insights and connections. You never know who might drop a tip about an upcoming job at companies like All The Top Bananas, so don’t miss out on building those relationships!
✨Be Ready for Busy Season Opportunities
Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal hiring windows, especially in the run-up to major shopping periods. Retailers often look for full-time staff to carry through busy times and may even keep you on after the season. Stay proactive by regularly checking in with your favourite retailers about their hiring plans.
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail’s all about customer interactions, so make sure you showcase any relevant experience in your conversations and interviews. Share specific examples of your customer service skills and how they’ve led to positive outcomes. This is your moment to shine when applying to roles at places like All The Top Bananas!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Buying - Flooring in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any experience where you've dealt with customers, whether it’s resolving issues or enhancing the shopping experience. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to handle difficult situations with ease.
Tailor Your CV for Retail:When applying for a full-time role like this one at All The Top Bananas, customise your CV to reflect retail-specific buzzwords. Include any relevant skills such as inventory management or visual merchandising, and if you have experience with POS systems, shout about it! This will show you’re serious about joining the retail team.
Craft a Genuine Cover Letter:Don’t just repeat your CV in your cover letter! Use it as a chance to explain why you're excited about the opportunity at All The Top Bananas and how your values align with their brand. Mention specific aspects of the company that resonate with you and let your enthusiasm shine through!
Highlight Your Adaptability:In retail, things can get busy and unpredictable, so demonstrate how adaptable and flexible you are. Share examples of times you've had to adjust your approach on the fly or take on new responsibilities. This will show All The Top Bananas that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at All The Top Bananas
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
Retail is all about providing an exceptional customer experience, so be ready to discuss your past customer service stories. We should have examples on hand of how we've handled difficult situations or gone above and beyond to meet a customer's needs. These anecdotes will bring your application to life!
✨Familiarity with Point of Sale Systems
Many retail roles require us to work with Point of Sale (POS) systems, so it's a good idea to brush up on any relevant software you’ve used before. If you’re familiar with systems like Shopify or Square, don’t forget to mention this during the interview. Highlighting technical proficiency can set us apart from other candidates!
✨Understand Product Knowledge
Be prepared to discuss the products that the store sells and how we can contribute to their sales. Showing enthusiasm for the products and a willingness to learn can impress interviewers. We should research popular items or trends in the industry before the interview, so we can speak confidently about them.
✨Be Ready for Role-Playing Scenarios
Many retail interviews include role-playing scenarios where we might have to deal with a difficult customer or upsell a product. Practising these scenarios with a friend or family member can help us feel more comfortable. The key here is to showcase our problem-solving skills and ability to remain calm under pressure!
