Assistant Buyer - Argos Lounge and Dining

Overview

Job Description: Assistant Buyer – Argos, Lounge and Dining

Why join us Our Buying team plays a crucial role in delivering our business strategy. Joining our friendly and passionate team means being part of an exciting and fast-paced environment where you can contribute to our ambitious growth plans. We value work-life balance and offer flexibility in our ways of working, allowing you to find the right balance that works for you. As an Assistant Buyer, you will have the opportunity to work with a dynamic range of products, developing strategies to enhance sales and profitability while understanding the needs and preferences of our customers. With previous buying experience and a passion for product, this role offers a platform for you to showcase your analytical skills, negotiation abilities, and commercial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of the 3–6 month promotional strategy for your category, ensuring accuracy in pricing across all channels.
• Build relationships with UK suppliers, negotiate effectively, and apply an analytical approach to drive sales and profit through various strategies.
• Optimize the product range and consider the in-store experience and its impact on customers and store colleagues.
• Collaborate with the Product Development (PD) team and global sourcing to set quality criteria for own-label products.
• Work in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate problem-solving skills, and manage administrative duties and sample management.
• Demonstrate buying expertise with commercial acumen and attention to detail to contribute to the team’s success.

Who you are / Qualifications

• You are an experienced professional with a background in buying, preferably in a retail setting, with a deep understanding of product assortment, market trends, and commercial acumen.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills, plus excellent communication and organizational abilities to contribute to range optimization, pricing accuracy, and promotional strategies.
• Skilled at building relationships with UK suppliers and negotiating effectively, working collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• Problem-solving mindset and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment to drive sales, ensure product quality, and maintain customer satisfaction.
• Essential Criteria:
• Commercial Awareness — Previous buying team experience with understanding of key commercial KPIs such as sales and profit.
• Excel Proficiency — intermediate skills including VLOOKUPs and pivots.
• High degree of accuracy — thrives in a busy environment and maintains data accuracy.
• Strong organizational skills — ability to prioritise workload.
• Collaboration — strong team player who can work with multiple stakeholders.
• Problem-Solving Mindset — ability to adapt and find creative solutions.
• Communication — ability to contribute to meetings, update the team on progress and outstanding actions.
• Hybrid working — required on site twice a week.

Commercial and Benefits

Commercial responsibilities and opportunities across Argos and our brands, including Habitat, Chad Valley and Bush, plus partnerships with big global brands. The Argos Commercial teams work closely with Digital, Marketing, Retail and Logistics to deliver for our customers and support career development across Buying, Merchandising, Design, Technical, or Commercial Planning or Operations. Benefits include:

• Starting with colleague discount, 10% off at Sainsbury\’s, Argos, TU and Habitat after 4 weeks; 15% off at Sainsbury\’s every Friday and Saturday; 15% off at Argos every pay day.
• Pensions scheme and life cover; potential for a performance-related bonus up to 5% of salary depending on performance.
• Annual holiday allowance with the option to buy additional holiday.
• Other benefits to help money go further (season ticket loans, cycle to work, health cash plans, pay advance, retailer discounts).
• Employee assistance programme.
• Maternity/adoption leave up to 26 weeks of pay and paternity leave up to 4 weeks of pay.
• For full details on benefits, see www.sainsburys.jobs (note: length of service and eligibility criteria may apply).

Important notice

Please note, due to the volume of applications we receive, our roles may close early.