At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the FMCG retail category, driving sales and customer satisfaction.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at a leading food retailer in Walsall.
- Benefits: Enjoy 33 days holiday, employee discounts, and a car allowance.
- Other info: Hybrid working model with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on product ranges that customers love.
- Qualifications: Experience in FMCG preferred but not essential; strong analytical skills needed.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
We're looking for a highly credible Buyer with strong experience of leading an FMCG retail category to join our Commercial team. Based at our Customer Support Centre in Walsall, this is a hybrid role, offering a mix of office and home working. As a Buyer, you'll work closely with our Senior Buyer to deliver strong commercial performance across a food retail category. You'll ensure our customers can find the right products at the right price. You will take ownership of your category, developing and delivering category strategies that drive sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction. From supplier negotiations and relationship management to sales analysis, range planning, budgeting, and critical path management, you'll play a key role throughout the product lifecycle. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real commercial impact. Your decisions will shape the ranges our customers love, ensuring they're always stocked with great products that offer quality and value.
Key Responsibilities
- Maximising the success of the category performance, driving growth, maximising margins and ensuring availability.
- Working collaboratively with the wider commercial team, retail operations and suppliers to ensure critical path deadlines are achieved.
- Identifying, creating, and developing new range opportunities, taking the lead on constructing a robust and successful plan.
- Seeking out category range and promotional opportunities, resolving supply issues and making recommendations for action for any threats identified.
- Understanding and interpreting key customer insights and data to identify and react to market trends and shopping habits.
- Meeting suppliers and attending trade fairs to build relationships, negotiate the cost of goods, and explore new opportunities.
- Leading the development of category strategies, including research and analysis (spend analysis, cost benchmarking, etc).
Qualifications & Experience
- Previous experience of leading an FMCG based category is preferred but not essential.
- Keeps one step ahead of the market, through calculated risks.
- Experience of delivering strategies and plans with associated targets, KPIs and performance monitoring, along with reporting, budgeting and forecasting.
- Comfortable with being agile to changing priorities.
- Strong understanding of the sector and competitors.
- Thorough understanding of the Supply Chain Process.
Benefits
- 10% employee discount card with increased discount events over the year.
- Celebrate your birthday, you’ll get an extra day off for your birthday.
- Holidays, 33 days a year inc banks.
- Single private medical cover.
- Annual bonus scheme, with the opportunity to earn up to 15% of your base salary.
- Car allowance of £500 per month.
- Free parking onsite.
- Pension scheme for your future, with up to 5% employer matched contributions.
- We put wellbeing first through our partnership with Retail Trust which gives you and your family access to a fantastic range of resources.
- My Staff Shop, giving you an amazing number of discounts and shopping vouchers.
- For those unexpected moments, our partnership with stream enables you to access up to 50% of your monthly earned wages early, along with savings and financial advice.
- Training and development opportunities, we want you to grow your career with us, be that through one of the qualifications we offer or internal programmes, this role can be just the first step.
- Plus, life assurance, loyalty service awards and more.
Bring your leadership, energy, and positive approach — and we’ll help you build your career with us! We’re committed and proud to our inclusive culture, and that starts with the recruitment and selection process. If you require a reasonable adjustment during the recruitment process, please do share this with us on your application form and we’ll make every effort to meet your needs.
Buyer - Retail FMCG - Food in Walsall employer: POUNDLAND LIMITED
Join our dynamic team as a Buyer in Walsall, where you'll enjoy a hybrid working model that promotes work-life balance. We offer a supportive culture with extensive employee benefits, including generous holiday allowances, a competitive bonus scheme, and opportunities for professional growth through training and development. With a focus on wellbeing and inclusivity, we empower our employees to thrive both personally and professionally while making a significant impact in the FMCG retail sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Buyer - Retail FMCG - Food in Walsall
✨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 POUNDLAND 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 POUNDLAND LIMITED!
We think you need these skills to ace Buyer - Retail FMCG - Food in Walsall
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 POUNDLAND 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 POUNDLAND 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 POUNDLAND LIMITED that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at POUNDLAND 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!
