At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the lingerie buying strategy and create customer-focused product ranges.
- Company: Join Sainsbury's, a dynamic retailer with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy discounts, flexible working, and a performance-related bonus.
- Other info: Opportunities for personal growth and a supportive team atmosphere.
- Why this job: Make an impact in a fast-paced environment while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Proven senior buying experience and strong analytical skills required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
As a Senior Buyer within Lingerie, you’ll lead the end‑to‑end commercial and product strategy for a key growth category within TU Clothing. You’ll translate category strategy into a compelling, customer‑led product proposition, ensuring ranges are relevant, profitable and aligned to brand and business objectives. This is a senior buying role with accountability for shaping and delivering ranges at scale, driving performance across sales, margin, stock, availability and customer satisfaction.
Working in close partnership with Design and Merchandising, you’ll lead sourcing, buying and trading strategies that balance creativity, commerciality and pace to market.
What you’ll do
- You’ll define and deliver the category strategy for Lingerie, owning range architecture, selection, sourcing routes and in‑season trading performance across all channels.
- Using strong customer, market and data insight, you’ll lead the development of engaging, age‑appropriate and commercially sound product propositions that resonate with customers and deliver strong performance.
- The role includes ownership of financial performance, proactive trade management and clear decision‑making to optimise sales, margin and stock outcomes.
- You’ll build strong, strategic supplier partnerships to drive quality, innovation and value, while working closely with Design, Merchandising, Product Development, Marketing and Digital teams to ensure end‑to‑end execution.
- Alongside delivery, you’ll lead, coach and develop Buyers and Assistant Buyers, building capability, protecting talent and driving high performance within the team.
Who you are
You’re a commercially strong buying leader with experience operating at pace in a fast‑moving, customer‑focused retail environment. You combine strong analytical capability with sound judgement and bring a clear understanding of customer needs, particularly within lingerie. You’re collaborative, resilient and confident influencing across functions while developing and motivating high‑performing teams.
To be considered for this role, you must have demonstrable end‑to‑end buying experience at a senior level, with clear accountability for category strategy, trading performance and people leadership within a commercial retail environment.
Essential Criteria
- Proven senior‑level buying experience, with accountability for category strategy and financial performance.
- Strong commercial, analytical and data‑driven capability, using insight to shape buying and trading decisions.
- Experience building and delivering customer‑focused ranges, within the lingerie product area.
- Strong negotiation skills and experience developing strategic supplier partnerships.
- Ability to operate confidently at pace, making timely, well‑informed commercial decisions.
- Proven experience leading, coaching and developing others.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across functions.
- Passion for product and customer experience, balanced with commercial discipline.
We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new — whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working.
When you join our team, we’ll also offer you an amazing range of benefits. Here are some of them:
- Starting off with colleague discount, you'll be able to save 10% on your shopping online and instore at Sainsbury's, Argos, TU and Habitat, and we regularly increase the discount to 15% at points during the year.
- We've also got you covered for your future with our pensions scheme and life cover.
- You'll also be able to share in our success as you may be eligible for a performance-related bonus of up to 20% of salary, depending on how we perform.
- Your wellbeing is important to us too. You'll receive an annual holiday allowance, and you can buy up to an additional week's holiday, and we provide private healthcare.
- We also offer other benefits that will help your money go further such as season ticket loans, interest free car loan of up to £10k, cycle to work scheme, health cash plans, salary advance (where you can access some of your pay before pay day) as well access to a great range of discounts from hundreds of other retailers.
- And if you ever need it there is also an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Moments that matter are as important to us as they are to you which is why we give up to 26 weeks’ pay for maternity or adoption leave and up to 4 weeks’ pay for paternity leave.
Senior Buyer - Lingerie in Coventry employer: Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's is an excellent employer for those passionate about fashion and design, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters creativity and collaboration. With opportunities for professional growth and mentorship within a dynamic team, employees can thrive while contributing to innovative womenswear collections that resonate with customers. Located in a supportive environment, Sainsbury's prioritises employee well-being and development, making it a rewarding place to build a career in the fashion industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Buyer - Lingerie in Coventry
✨Get Your Foot in the Door Early
In retail, many temporary roles pop up during peak seasons, like Christmas or summer sales. Keep an eye on the calendars for these spikes and start scouting for opportunities a bit in advance. We can even help you stay sharp on your search!
✨Utilise Local Connections
Visit local shops in person and chat with managers about potential temporary openings. Many retail positions are filled by word-of-mouth, so don’t underestimate the power of a good conversation while you grab a coffee or do your weekly shopping!
✨Show Off Your Availability
Retail managers love flexibility! Make sure to highlight your availability in a casual chat or when you apply through our website. The more open you are to work varied shifts, the more likely they are to bring you on board—especially for temporary gigs!
✨Be Ready for On-the-Spot Interviews
When you walk into a shop, be prepared for the possibility of an on-the-spot interview. Dress comfortably but smartly, have a few key points about your experience ready, and be enthusiastic. Remember, it’s all about making that positive first impression!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Buyer - Lingerie in Coventry
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Customer Service Skills:In retail, customer service is key! Make sure your CV highlights any relevant experience you've got, whether it’s casual jobs or volunteer work. Employers want to see that you can interact well with customers, so think about any instances where you've gone the extra mile to help someone out.
Flexibility Is Your Best Friend:Since this is a temporary position, you should emphasise your flexibility in your application. Mention your availability clearly in your cover letter and CV—employers love knowing they can rely on you to work varied hours, especially during busy periods!
Keep It Short and Sweet:For temporary roles, we don’t need an essay! Keep your CV and cover letter concise, focusing on the most relevant experiences and skills. Highlight any specific retail achievements, like sales targets met or product knowledge that demonstrates your eagerness to dive straight in.
Tailor Your Application to Sainsbury's:Don’t forget to personalise your application for Sainsbury's! Take a look at their values and product range, and if you’ve had previous experience with similar brands, mention that. It shows you’re genuinely interested in the role and have a good understanding of what they do.
How to prepare for a job interview at Sainsbury's
✨Show Off Your Customer Service Skills
In retail, it's all about customer interaction, so be ready to share examples of how you've handled tough customer situations. We recommend thinking through a couple of scenarios before the interview where you went above and beyond to help a customer, as these can really make you stand out.
✨Brush Up on Product Knowledge
Temporary roles often have a steep learning curve because you'll need to pick up product knowledge fast. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the main products or services that Sainsbury's offers, and if possible, try to understand their current promotions. It’ll give you the edge to engage customers effectively.
✨Flexibility is Key
Being in a temporary retail role means you may need to adapt quickly to different tasks or shifts. Be prepared to highlight your flexibility and willingness to take on varied responsibilities during the interview. Think of examples where you've had to juggle multiple tasks at once – that’ll show you're a great fit for the dynamic retail environment.
✨Demonstrate Team Spirit
Since retail roles often require collaboration, be ready to showcase your teamwork skills. Share experiences where you worked well with colleagues, especially in fast-paced situations. This will underline your ability to slot into the team at Sainsbury's and contribute positively during your temporary stint.
