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- Tasks: Manage the Spirits and Tobacco category, optimising product range and driving sales.
- Company: Join Ocado Retail, the UK's largest online supermarket, known for unbeatable choice and service.
- Benefits: Enjoy hybrid working, private medical insurance, discounts, and 26 days holiday plus flexible bank holidays.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team, drive innovation, and enhance customer experiences in a fast-paced environment.
- Qualifications: Retail buying experience, strong Excel skills, and excellent negotiation abilities are essential.
- Other info: Opportunity to work with exciting brands and contribute to market-leading strategies.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
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Join to apply for the L2 Buyer – Spirits and Tobacco role at Ocado Retail
Perm
Hatfield (hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
40 hours
Mid-level
Contract type: Perm
Location: Hatfield (hybrid working – 3 days in the office)
Working hours per week: 40 hours
Level: Mid-level
Application closing date: Tuesday 15th July 2025
About Us
Our mission is to deliver joy in every shop, through unbeatable choice, unrivaled service, and reassuringly good value.
We’re Ocado Retail, a market-leading, joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S and the world’s largest dedicated online supermarket ocado.com. Not only is Ocado.com the only place to shop a full range of M&S food online, but it’s also the home to the widest online supermarket range in the UK and champion of small, independent brands. We’re also the brains behind Zoom by Ocado, our same-day grocery delivery service.
About The Team And The Role
You will have accountability for the Spirits and Tobacco category within the commercial buying team. You will be responsible for ensuring your supply base and the product range is optimised, proactively using data and analysis to maximise performance to and drive sales, profitability and share growth to support the growth to to support the overall Ocado Retail strategy and goals.
Spirits is a dynamic category that is currently performing ahead of the market, and we’re looking for a buyer to raise the bar even further. It’s a heavily branded area where building a strong trade plan is vital and has loads of space for creativity, be that cocktails trends, securing exclusive launches or supporting small and upcoming suppliers. This role sits in our BWS Buying team where our vision is to go beyond the bottle to provide an excellent shopper experience to help our customers find the right drink for every occasion – we are a fast paced & proactive team where we value collaboration and enjoyment of the fantastic category we operate in
What You’ll Do
- Manage the category P&L and deliver against KPIs
- Complete category reviews to refine range and align to the business and category strategy
- Plan and deliver trade, promotions and events plan
- Identify and deliver opportunities to improve all-in margin, negotiate with suppliers to deliver savings
- Negotiate with suppliers to agree and deliver market-leading plans aligned to the customer plan and category strategy.
- Analyse and assess performance issues and opportunities using data and reporting tools, devise and implement solutions
- Identify, analyse and source first-to-market / Ocado exclusive product innovation using customer, market and supplier insights to guide decision making
- Work closely with supply chain colleagues and the supplier base to ensure best in class availability
- Work closely with our e-comm team to deliver merchandising solutions for the category and customer
- Collaborate with the M&S team under the JV terms
- Identify and create plans to mitigate potential issues / events that may impact supply
- Adhering to all Ocado policies, storage and handover protocols and successfully completing all of your training so that you have zero GSCOP breaches. Ensuring all agreements are recorded in writing, reporting GSCOP complaints to Legal within 48 hours of receipt
- Following our Business Code of Conduct and always acting with integrity and due diligence
Who You Are
- Meaningful retail buying experience, ideally with large branded suppliers
- Excited about working in retail and food
- Proficient in Excel, with prior experience working with customer insights, transactional or financial data
- Influencing and stakeholder management
- Strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen
- Project management capability
- Able to analyse complex sets of data
- Ideal experience is a background of buying products with Duty taxes
- Ideal experience would be WSET level 2 or above in Spirits
What’s In It For You
By joining Ocado Retail you’ll have the chance to experience life at the world’s largest online retailer, work with an amazing bunch of people who challenge what’s possible each day, and grow your skills and career in online retail.
If that’s not enough to tempt you, you’ll also get access to loads of great benefits to sweeten the deal. Here’s a taste of what we offer:
Health & Wellbeing: Private medical insurance with the option to add your family, Digital GP appointments, market-leading family policies, mental health support, discounted gym memberships, dental insurance, and more.
Spend & Save: Recognition with reward platform, up to 7% matched pension contributions, 15% Ocado discount, 20% M&S discount, free breakfast every day in the office, electric vehicle leasing scheme and free shuttle bus from Hatfield station to the office.
Never miss the moments that matter: Blended/Hybrid working, 26 days holiday plus 8 flexible bank holidays, options to buy an extra holiday, 2 weeks work from anywhere, and lifestyle break opportunities.
Our Hiring Process
Lucky for us, we get loads of great applications and we really appreciate that so many people put the time and effort in to apply. To recognise that, we treat all applications respectfully and fairly. So, if yours stands out, you’ll follow our standard hiring process – one of our Talent Partners will talk you through this in an initial call.
Everyone’s welcome
We’re an equal opportunities employer. That means that we make sure all potential colleagues are treated fairly and equally. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know on the application form.
Seniority level
-
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
-
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
-
Job function
Purchasing and Supply Chain
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Industries
Retail
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L2 Buyer – Spirits and Tobacco employer: Ocado Retail
Contact Detail:
Ocado Retail Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land L2 Buyer – Spirits and Tobacco
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the latest trends in the spirits and tobacco market. Understanding current consumer preferences and emerging brands can give you an edge during interviews, showcasing your passion and knowledge about the category.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the retail buying sector, especially those who have experience with spirits and tobacco. Engaging in conversations can provide valuable insights and potentially lead to referrals that may enhance your application.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss your negotiation strategies and past successes in managing supplier relationships. Being able to articulate your approach to securing deals will demonstrate your commercial acumen and suitability for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your analytical skills by being ready to discuss how you've used data to drive decisions in previous roles. Highlighting specific examples of how you've improved margins or sales through data analysis will resonate well with the hiring team.
We think you need these skills to ace L2 Buyer – Spirits and Tobacco
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in retail buying, especially with large branded suppliers. Emphasise your skills in negotiation, data analysis, and project management, as these are crucial for the L2 Buyer role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the Spirits and Tobacco category. Mention specific examples of how you've successfully managed product ranges or driven sales in previous roles to demonstrate your fit for the position.
Showcase Relevant Skills: Highlight your proficiency in Excel and experience with customer insights or financial data. If you have WSET qualifications or experience with duty taxes, make sure to include these details as they are particularly relevant to the role.
Research Ocado Retail: Familiarise yourself with Ocado's mission and values. Understanding their approach to customer service and product range will help you align your application with their goals and demonstrate your genuine interest in the company.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ocado Retail
✨Know Your Category
Familiarise yourself with the Spirits and Tobacco category. Understand current trends, key players, and what makes Ocado's offering unique. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your passion and insight during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Analytical Skills
Be prepared to discuss how you've used data analysis in previous roles. Highlight specific examples where your insights led to improved performance or strategic decisions, as this role heavily relies on data-driven decision-making.
✨Prepare for Negotiation Scenarios
Since negotiation is a key part of the role, think of examples from your past experiences where you successfully negotiated with suppliers. Be ready to discuss your approach and the outcomes of those negotiations.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Ocado values teamwork, so be sure to highlight your experience working collaboratively with cross-functional teams. Share examples of how you've worked with supply chain colleagues or marketing teams to achieve common goals.
