Creative Business Internship: Buying Assistant at Or Collective Ltd in London

Salary: £15.65 per hour

Hours: 150 Hours, from 1 September to 13 November 2026 (Note: can complete before 13 November). Flexible – to be agreed with intern at onboarding.

Internship Length: 6 - 11 weeks (max)

Internship Location: Hybrid. Onsite Location is Host, 658 High Road, Leyton, London, E10 6JP

Supervisor Job Title: Buying and Operations Manager

Responsibilities:

• Support the buying team in sourcing and onboarding new brand and label partners aligned with Or Collective’s quality and sustainability criteria
• Assist with product selection for the rental catalogue, assessing items for durability, fit, and longevity
• Help manage incoming inventory — logging, photographing, and quality-checking garments on arrival
• Track stock performance and flag low-performing or high-wear items for review
• Conduct market research into children’s fashion trends, pricing, and competitor rental models
• Liaise with brand partners on availability, lead times, and returns
• Support the build-out of our wear data records — contributing to the product-level insights that underpin our B2B data offer
• Assist with clearance and end-of-cycle decisions, including resale and redistribution

This role will suit someone with a genuine interest in fashion and sustainability – ideally with some study or experience in fashion buying, retail, or business. We’re looking for someone organised and detail-oriented: inventory management and stock tracking require accuracy. And that cares about product.

Experience with Excel – basic data handling is useful, as is the ability to communicate clearly with brand partners. Curiosity about the rental and circular economy space, and open to working in a small agile team.

What will the internship offer the student and what will they learn while they are with you?

• This is a hands-on role inside a lean, founder-led business – which means the learning is real and the context is always visible.
• The intern will gain direct experience across the full buying cycle: researching and approaching brand partners, selecting and quality-checking product, and tracking how individual items perform across multiple rental cycles.
• You’ll build a practical understanding of what makes a product commercially viable in a rental model – durability, margin, longevity, rather than in traditional retail.
• You’ll contribute to the data records that underpin Or Collective’s B2B product intelligence offer, and gain exposure to end-of-cycle decision-making – resale, redistribution, clearance, giving them a view of the full product lifecycle that most retail roles don’t offer.
• Throughout, you will be supported directly by the founder and core team, with guidance on each task before working independently.

Disability Confident Employer: We can confirm that we are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 1-3) who can welcome a wide range of disabled applicants within our level of training.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibility. We are committed to offering a working environment where everyone is valued and feels appreciated.