At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the growth of our football retail category and manage key supplier relationships.
- Company: Join Classic Football Shirts, a passionate team celebrating football culture.
- Benefits: Collaborative culture, hybrid work, and the chance to shape your category.
- Other info: Be part of the world's largest collection of original football shirts.
- Why this job: Make a major impact in the football retail industry with top brands.
- Qualifications: Experience in football retail and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
Classic Football Shirts started in 2006 when university friends Matt Dale and Doug Bierton set out to track down rare football shirts. From those early days in a bedroom full of rails, the company has grown into a thriving business with a talented team, a busy warehouse, and stores in Manchester, London, and the US. Our passion for football and the stories behind every shirt drives everything we do. At Classic Football Shirts, we work together, stay grounded, and always put our fans at the heart of the business. We share the passion, win together, stay fan-focused, be agile, and stay grounded — values that guide how we operate every day.
We welcome all suitably qualified applicants and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We have a great work ethic and a friendly group of diverse employees who enjoy working here to help carry out our mission.
The Role
Classic Football Shirts is looking for an experienced and highly driven Category Manager for New Product to lead the growth and performance of our modern football retail offering. This is a pivotal role within the business, responsible for shaping our product strategy, managing key supplier relationships, and ensuring we continue to bring the very best new football apparel and merchandise to our global customer base. We’re looking for someone with deep experience in football retail - ideally currently working in a buying or category management role within a leading sports or football retailer. You will bring valuable marketplace knowledge, commercial instinct, and supplier understanding that will strengthen and elevate our team. If you live and breathe football and can thrive in a fast-paced, data-led environment, this is an opportunity to make a major impact.
Location: Manchester (Hybrid – 1–2 days per week in the office)
Hours: The role is a full-time position
Key Responsibilities
- Help build, own and deliver the annual budget for a category within New Product, aligning financial targets with trading and growth plans.
- Forecast demand across all relevant product lines using sales data, trends, and brand insights to optimise stock efficiency and availability.
- Manage and develop relationships with major brand partners including adidas & PUMA and others - ensuring strong commercial terms, collaborative planning, and access to key product launches.
- Analyse category performance, using spreadsheets and business data tools to identify trading opportunities, range gaps, risks, and areas for margin improvement.
- Influence pricing, assortment and lifecycle strategy to maximise sales, profitability and customer experience.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with e-commerce, merchandising, marketing and operations to ensure successful product launches and ongoing category performance.
- Stay ahead of football culture, brand stories and market trends, ensuring our new product offering remains industry-leading and commercially strong.
What We’re Looking For
- Proven experience as a Buyer, Assistant Buyer or Category Manager or similar within football retail (replica, training wear, footwear, equipment or related categories).
- Strong understanding of the football retail landscape, key brands, seasonal calendars and consumer trends.
- Experience managing budgets, forecasting and making data-driven trading decisions.
- Demonstrated success in building and managing supplier relationships with global brands.
Skills & Attributes
- Passionate about football — you understand the product, the culture and the customers.
- Highly analytical, comfortable working with large datasets and commercial reporting.
- Strong Excel and Google Sheets skills, with the ability to build, interpret and manipulate complex datasets, forecasts and trading models.
- Able to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth and data-driven environment.
- Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
- Commercial mindset with an ability to balance product vision, margin and trading realities.
- Organised, proactive and comfortable owning a category end-to-end.
Working at Classic Football Shirts
Classic Football Shirts is home to the world’s largest collection of original football shirts, celebrating football culture and product in a way no one else does. You’ll be part of a passionate, ambitious team driving the next phase of growth as we expand our modern retail offering alongside our renowned vintage and classic collections. We offer a collaborative culture, the freedom to shape your category, and the opportunity to work with some of the biggest brands in world football.
Application
Application method: please email CV and Cover Letter to recruitment@classicfootballshirts.co.uk. Please note: We are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role, so we kindly ask that agencies do not contact us regarding this vacancy.
Category Manager in Manchester employer: Classic Football Company Ltd.
At Classic Football Shirts, we pride ourselves on being an excellent employer, offering a vibrant work culture that celebrates football passion and teamwork. Our Manchester location provides a hybrid working model, allowing for flexibility while collaborating with a diverse team dedicated to delivering the best in football retail. With opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work with leading global brands, we ensure our employees are at the heart of our mission to elevate football culture.
Contact Details:
Classic Football Company Ltd. Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Category Manager in Manchester
✨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 Classic Football Company Ltd., 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 Classic Football Company Ltd.!
We think you need these skills to ace Category Manager in Manchester
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 Classic Football Company Ltd., 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 Classic Football Company Ltd. 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 Classic Football Company Ltd. that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Classic Football Company Ltd.
✨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!
