Junior Buyer - Footwear in Bury

Established in 1981 with a single store in the Northwest of England, JD Group is a leading omni-channel retailer of Sports Fashion, Outdoors and Gyms with colleagues working in stores across several retail fascias in many markets around the world. JD Sports Fashion Plc was listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1996 and has been a FTSE100 publicly quoted company since 2019. The company aims to be the leading global omnichannel retailer in the sports and outdoor industry. The role supports the strategic goals of being people-led, innovative and customer-focused, delivering operational excellence while identifying new areas of growth as part of day-to-day objectives.

The Junior Buyer plays a key role within the buying team, supporting the development and delivery of commercially successful product within their category. Sitting between the Assistant Buyer and Buyer, the Junior Buyer takes ownership of some brand relationships, product selection, trading actions and category performance, while working closely with senior team members to execute the overall buying strategy.

Responsibilities

• Interpret sales, margin and stock data to inform strategic buying decisions.
• Understand and present market trends, competitor activity, and consumer behaviour to influence range direction.
• Proactively identify commercial risks and opportunities, not just report them.
• Contribute to the build of seasonal strategies, including product mix, pricing architecture and option planning.
• Confidently challenge and recommend product edits based on data, brand insights and trend research.
• Take ownership of brand communication, including negotiation around costing, exclusives, lead times and margin improvements.
• Build strong, professional partnerships with brand contacts and act as a key point of contact when the Buyer is unavailable.
• Develop understanding of KPIs (sell-through, ROS, WSSI, margin, intake, stockholding) and how to impact them.
• Build compelling trade stories for cross-functional meetings.
• Bring fresh product ideas supported by insight research (including social media, cultural trends, emerging brands).
• Act as a role model within the team by supporting Buying Admin Assistants and Assistant Buyers and guiding workload where appropriate.
• Take full responsibility for the brand’s day-to-day performance and present with authority.

Skills & Experience

• Experience of working in a buying function is essential.
• Experience of buying branded goods and sports fashion is advantageous.
• Strong understanding and knowledge of current and upcoming sports fashion trends at a high street and premium level price point.
• High degree of analytical and numerical skills.
• Fully literate in Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Word, Excel.
• Organisational skills are essential.
• Be able to work under own initiative.
• A creative and trend-led individual.
• Extensive knowledge of our store base and website.
• Confidence within own decisions and product selection.
• Ability to act independently.
• Extensive knowledge of product area and market.
• Ability to look forward and predict trends both current and future.
• Highly numerate and skilled within budget forecasting and planning.

What We Offer

• We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to a workplace where every colleague is valued, respected, and empowered.
• We celebrate diversity and strive to ensure all colleagues can thrive and contribute meaningfully.
• As part of our company, you’ll be encouraged to embrace and uphold strategic priorities: putting people first, digital innovation, customer focus, and operational excellence.
• Incremental Holiday Allowance.
• Staff Discount on qualifying purchases across Group retail stores and online.
• Exclusive Colleague Bike Discount scheme.
• Discounted Gym membership.
• Personal development opportunities to learn and develop at work.
• Access to Apprenticeships and accredited qualifications.