At a Glance
- Tasks: Support the Buying Manager in sourcing and buying top-quality light spirits.
- Company: Join Tesco, a leading supermarket and tech company with a diverse culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, annual bonus, 25+ days holiday, and mental wellbeing support.
- Other info: Flexible working options and a commitment to inclusivity for all applicants.
- Why this job: Make an impact in the booming light spirits market while developing your career.
- Qualifications: Previous buying experience, strong analytical skills, and excellent negotiation abilities.
The predicted salary is between 31500 - 38500 £ per year.
About the role
The Light Spirits category is the largest Buyer area within total Spirits.
The Light Spirits team is responsible for delivering £600m of sales per annum.
You’ll play a key role in delivering 10% of this annual sales forecast particularly across the categories Tequila, Shorts, Cocktail and Low and No Spirits.
Working closely with the Buying Manager (who focusses on Gin, Vodka and Rum); you’ll help drive sales, profit and market share for your areas through great product ranges, strong supplier partnerships and seamless execution.
We’re looking for a person with strong organisational and collaboration skills, along with established commercial awareness.
This role is a key part of the buying team, supporting the Buying Manager to source and buy great quality products, giving our customers the best offer, range and prices available.
- You will be responsible for
- Supporting your manager with supplier performance, identifying potential new brand opportunities and building long term supplier relationships.
- Assist in the creation and execution of the category strategy, contributing to clear plans that drive growth and competitiveness across all channels.
- Using insight tools to analyse and understand performance issues and opportunities.
- Conducting regular store/website visits and reviewing customer insight and food trends, helping shape our future product and range requirements for our customers.
- Negotiating with suppliers to agree and deliver market leading buy/move/sell plans for the areas aligned to the customer plan & category strategy with support from your manager.
- Supporting delivery of trade, promotions & events plan, striving to exceed KPIs, drive footfall and forecast accurately.
- Supporting the Supply Chain Plan, helping to get our products in store on time.
- Working with technical and development teams to maintain the quality of our small Own Label portfolio, whilst managing costs.
- Adhering to all Tesco policies, storage and handover protocols and successfully completing all 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.
- You will need
- Previous Buying / Commercial experience.
- Range & trade planning experience.
- Competent report preparation and analytical skills.
- Influencing & negotiation.
- Stakeholder management.
- Supplier management.
- Buying and Range management.
- Trade planning.
- Data analysis.
- Microsoft Excel.
Whats in it for you?
We’re all about the little helps. That’s why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you – both in and out of work.
- Annual bonus scheme of up to 10% of base salary
- Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank Holidays)
- 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (12 months service required at the qualifying date) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay, plus 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
- Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and access to mental wellbeing support
- The above information is a shortened summary, refer to our policies for full details
About Us
You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network.
Truth is, we’re all of those things, and much more.
Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world.
No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.
At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work.
Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely.
Whether you're just kicking off your career, juggling passions, or navigating big life events, we're here to support you.
We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.
We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone’s welcome.
That’s why we commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
If you need support with your application.
And if you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.
When you join us in this role, you'll be employed by Tesco Stores Limited, the Tesco legal entity responsible for your employment.
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Assistant Buyer - Light Spirits employer: Tesco
Tesco is an excellent employer, offering a supportive work culture where Customer Delivery Drivers can thrive in a flexible environment. With competitive pay starting at £14.18 per hour and opportunities for growth, employees enjoy a hands-on role that allows for independence while being backed by a dedicated team. The company values service with a smile, making it a rewarding place to work for those looking to make a positive impact in their community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Assistant Buyer - Light Spirits
✨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!
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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
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We think you need these skills to ace Assistant Buyer - Light Spirits
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 Tesco, 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 Tesco 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 Tesco that you’re ready to jump in and contribute right away!
How to prepare for a job interview at Tesco
✨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!
