At a Glance
- Tasks: Manage buying admin for four brands and analyse sales data to inform purchasing decisions.
- Company: Join Cole Beauty, a dynamic company creating bath and body products with a local supply chain.
- Benefits: Earn £26,000–£29,000, enjoy 75% staff discount, 25 days holiday, and a company bonus.
- Other info: Full training provided with a clear path to advancement.
- Why this job: Gain hands-on experience in buying and develop your career towards becoming a Buyer.
- Qualifications: 1-2 years in buying or supply chain, strong attention to detail, and Excel skills.
The predicted salary is between 26000 - 29000 £ per year.
Cole Beauty is hiring an Assistant Buyer. This is a role for someone who wants to become a buyer. You'll own the buying administration across all four of our brands — and alongside it, start taking on the commercial work. Analysing what's selling. Comparing costs. Drafting supplier briefs. Bringing recommendations rather than raw information. You'll work directly with our Buyer, and with suppliers, manufacturers and freight forwarders in the UK and overseas. It's a broad role, deliberately. You won't be handed one narrow category and left there. If you're currently doing buying admin and finding the remit tighter than you'd like, this is the widening. There's full training, with a documented process guide for every part of the role, and a clear route on to Buyer.
What you'll be doing:
- Owning the day-to-day buying administration across four brands: purchase orders, deliveries, supplier follow-ups, trackers and product data.
- Building cost sheets, and working out landed costs and margins.
- Turning weekly sales data into buying insight — spotting what's selling and what's not, and feeding that into what we buy next.
- Arranging international shipments end to end: sourcing and comparing freight quotes, and recommending the option you'd pick.
- Working with our contract manufacturers and third-party logistics partners to keep production and stock moving.
- Running the sample process and supporting new product development, from first brief through to final sign-off.
- Researching competitors and market trends, and bringing ideas into range development, including gifting.
- Keeping projects on the critical path, and raising anything that looks at risk early.
What we're looking for:
- Around one to two years in buying, merchandising, supply chain or similar.
- Real attention to detail. A lot of this job is data, and it needs to be right.
- Comfortable with numbers— building a cost comparison, working out a margin, and explaining what it means.
- Confident in Excel.
- Happy dealing with suppliers directly, including chasing and pushing back when you need to.
- Able to run several things at once and decide what matters most.
- Curious about why decisions get made, not just what needs doing.
Nice to have, not essential:
- Experience in beauty, personal care, FMCG or gifting.
- An ERP system, ideally NetSuite.
- Exposure to international shipping and customs paperwork.
What you get:
- £26,000–£29,000, depending on experience.
- 75% staff discount across all four brands.
- 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays.
- Company bonus.
- Full training, and a documented process guide for every part of the role.
- A clear route on to Buyer, at the pace you earn it.
- On-site parking, Cheadle.
About Cole Beauty:
Cole Beauty was founded in 2007 by Tracy Mort MBE, and makes bath, body and home products under four brands: Grace Cole, The Retreat, Boutique and The Luxury Bathing Company. Our products sit in national retailers, independents and our own channels, in the UK and internationally. We work closely with English suppliers and keep our supply chain as local as we can, which means real visibility over how our products get made. Our buying function covers the whole product journey — first idea, development, production, finished stock arriving in the warehouse. You'll be close to those decisions rather than several steps removed from them, and what you work on ends up on shelves.
Assistant Buyer in Cheadle employer: Cole Beauty Limited
Cole Beauty is an exceptional employer for those looking to grow in the buying field, offering a dynamic work environment where you can take ownership of buying administration across multiple brands. With comprehensive training, a clear progression path to becoming a Buyer, and generous benefits including a 75% staff discount and 25 days holiday, employees are supported in their professional development while enjoying a collaborative culture. Located in Cheadle, you'll have the opportunity to work closely with suppliers and be directly involved in the product journey, making your contributions impactful and rewarding.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Buyer in Cheadle
✨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 Cole Beauty Limited, 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 Cole Beauty Limited!
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Buyer in Cheadle
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 Cole Beauty Limited, 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 Cole Beauty Limited 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 Cole Beauty Limited that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cole Beauty Limited
✨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!
