At a Glance
- Tasks: Support product launches and analyse trading data to drive commercial success.
- Company: Join a growing ecommerce and pet healthcare business with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, healthcare plan, and discounts on pet care.
- Other info: Clear career pathways and ongoing learning opportunities await you.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while developing your career in Buying and Category Management.
- Qualifications: Strong analytical skills and experience in retail or commercial environments.
The predicted salary is between 22050 - 26950 £ per year.
Hybrid Keynsham BS31, 3 days a week
About The Role
We're looking for a highly organised and commercially minded Buying Assistant to join our Category team.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working with data, collaborating across multiple departments, and playing a key role in bringing products to market.
As a Buying Assistant, you'll support our category trading teams in delivering commercial success and operational excellence.
You'll gain exposure to product launches, promotional planning, trading analysis, and category performance, making this an excellent opportunity for someone looking to develop a career in Buying, Category Management, Merchandising, or Commercial Trading.
- What You'll Be Doing
- Coordinate the end-to-end product launch process, ensuring products are launched accurately and on time.
- Work closely with Category, Marketing, Supply Chain, Online Trading, and other teams to deliver commercial plans.
- Analyse sales, stock, margin, and category performance data to provide valuable commercial insights.
- Prepare weekly trading reports and support decision-making through data-driven recommendations.
- Manage promotional forecasts and communicate demand plans to key stakeholders.
- Monitor competitor activity and pricing to identify market trends and opportunities.
- Support pricing maintenance and investigate invoice discrepancies where required.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of trading processes and operational efficiencies.
- How you'll make a difference
We're interested in hearing from candidates who are analytical, proactive, and confident working with data in a fast-paced commercial environment.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Experience within a retail, FMCG, commercial, buying, merchandising, category, or administrative environment
- Strong analytical and numerical skills with excellent attention to detail.
- Advanced Excel skills and confidence using Microsoft Office applications.
- Ability to interpret data and turn findings into meaningful business insights.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective relationships across teams.
- Commercial awareness and a solutions-focused mindset.
Desirable
- Previous experience in a Buying Assistant, Merchandising Assistant, Category Assistant, Commercial Analyst, or similar role.
- How We’ll Support You
At inspiring vet care, we’re committed to supporting your development and wellbeing. When you join us, you’ll benefit from:
- A role with real impact in a growing ecommerce and pet healthcare business
- Clear career pathways with progression opportunities within Pet Drugs Online and the wider inspiring vet care Group
- Ongoing learning and development supported by experienced colleagues and teams
- A collaborative, values-led culture focused on care, innovation and continuous improvement
What We Offer Our Team
- Healthcare Cash Plan
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Green Cars salary sacrifice scheme
- Voluntary benefits: choose from a range of benefits to suit you
- Discounted staff pet care
- Access to discounts and cashback with hundreds of participating retailers
We’re committed to supporting our people through career development opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and access to world‑class learning resources.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take the next step in your career, inspiring vet care offers the support, opportunity and community to help you grow.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information.
These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment.
Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.
If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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Buying Assistant employer: Inspiring Vet Care
Inspiring Vet Care is an excellent employer for those seeking a fulfilling role in veterinary care. Located in King's Lynn, we offer a supportive team environment where you can thrive and develop your career, all while enjoying competitive pay and a range of employee benefits, including annual leave and wellbeing initiatives. Join us to make a meaningful impact on the lives of pets and their owners in our community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Buying Assistant
✨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 Inspiring Vet Care, 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 Inspiring Vet Care!
We think you need these skills to ace Buying Assistant
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 Inspiring Vet Care, 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 Inspiring Vet Care 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 Inspiring Vet Care that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Inspiring Vet Care
✨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!
