At a Glance
- Tasks: Support the Buying team with trading, supplier management, and range building.
- Company: Join River Island, a leading fashion retailer with a vibrant culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy 50% staff discount, free gym, flexible working, and career progression support.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with opportunities for personal growth and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team shaping fashion trends and making impactful buying decisions.
- Qualifications: Previous experience as an Assistant Buyer or Senior Buyer's Admin Assistant is essential.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
The Buying team at River Island plays a key role in realising the commercial opportunities created by our unique designs across all of our channels. This is achieved through effective range planning, awareness of key commercial data and customer trends, excellent supplier relations and internal networks, and execution of the Buying Strategy to deliver sales and profit plans. The Assistant Buyer supports the Buyer with trading, booking, fitting, range building, negotiation and supplier management, whilst ensuring the BAA team manages the critical path smoothly.
Responsibilities
- Support weekly trading reviews, updating and providing information to the Buying team as needed.
- Ensure orders and invoices are accurately and efficiently processed by the BAAs, and new suppliers are onboarded.
- Effective sample management, including labelling, working with suppliers (including Home Production where relevant), maintaining the development tracker and ensuring the correct samples are available to support meetings.
- Supporting fit meetings, ensuring BAA has prepped accordingly, inputting in the session, and deputising in fits where appropriate.
- Co-ordinating labelling and ticketing to a high standard.
- Monitor and review Critical Path, respond to escalations of risks to reduce delays, and maintain awareness of current lead times.
- Assist Buyer with cost negotiations and range building.
- Through a strong knowledge of competitors, key market trends, customers and channels, produce comparative shops with recommendations, identifying opportunities and raising them to the buyer.
- Build a foundational understanding of sustainability and how it impacts the buying choices that are made.
- Build a foundational understanding of compliance considerations and impact to the critical path management.
- Seek out and positively respond to opportunities to step up and present in trade and department meetings.
- Through a growing awareness of ethical trading practices, ensure that we partner well with our suppliers and behave in a consistently ethical way towards them.
- Manage the workload of the BAA with a thorough understanding of the BAA performance and escalating to Buyer where support is needed.
- Set the direction and objectives for the BAA, providing timely feedback and support to enable them to work to the best of their abilities.
- Work cross functionally with Core Merchandising team for effective ways of working and collaboratively with other internal teams (Ecommerce, Wholesale, Visual Merchandising).
Qualifications
- Previous experience as an Assistant Buyer, or established Senior Buyer's Admin Assistant is required.
- Experience in an omni-channel business is highly desirable.
Job Role Competencies
- Very good verbal and numerical reasoning skills.
- Intermediate MS Office skills.
- Computer literate and ability to learn new systems quickly.
- Highly organised and proactive, good prioritisation skills.
- Collaborative, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Very good commercial and market awareness.
- Disciplined and conscientious, results oriented.
- Resilient and adaptable with the ability to multitask.
- Curious, continuous learning mindset.
- Coaching, mentoring mindset.
- Ability to present own views and assert own views.
- Takes initiative.
- Good presentation skills.
Benefits
- Generous 50% staff discount on products and a bargain staff shop on site.
- Free onsite gym.
- Subsidised restaurant & café.
- Various social events throughout the year.
- Support for all family setups, including enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption & fertility treatment.
- Flexible working, as well as payday and summer early finish Fridays.
- Give as you earn scheme, a Giver Island day each year, and matched funding.
- Support with upskilling through on-the-job training and qualifications.
- A succession plan for career progression.
- A generous bonus scheme and private pension plan.
- 25 days paid holiday, exclusive of Bank Holidays, with the option to purchase additional holiday twice a year.
- Other safety and well-being initiatives as part of the Retail Trust.
Assistant Buyer in City of Westminster employer: River Island
River Island is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, offering generous benefits such as a 50% staff discount, free onsite gym, and flexible working arrangements. With a strong focus on employee growth, the company provides ample opportunities for upskilling and career progression, ensuring that every team member can thrive in their role while contributing to the innovative buying strategies that drive our success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Buyer in City of Westminster
✨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 River Island, 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 River Island!
We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Buyer in City of Westminster
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 River Island, 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 River Island 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 River Island that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at River Island
✨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!
