Senior Buyer - Younger Girls Outerwear

Job Advert Summary

Join Woolworths FBH as a Senior Buyer - Younger Girls Outerwear based in Cape Town, Western Cape. Woolworths, a leading South African retailer committed to innovation and transformation, offers you the chance to shape seasonal product strategies that align with brand vision and customer needs. In this role, you will oversee product development from concept to in-store execution, ensuring a profitable, balanced range that appeals to customers.

You will collaborate closely with Planning, Design, Sourcing, Marketing, and Sales teams, driving data-informed decisions and trend-led product direction. Lead, coach, and mentor junior buyers while managing product performance and supplier relationships.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum 5 to 8 year’s relevant buying experience within fashion retailer.
• Kidswear experience is advantageous.
• People management and coaching skills, ability to manage self, buyer, and buyer's assistant.
• Computer literate with proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint, PLM & EDITED.
• Knowledge of current trends and proven ability to interpret trends and conceptualize products.
• Excellent understanding of market, awareness of locally and international with a creative flair to interpret forthcoming moods, trends and themes.
• Demonstrates the ability to think strategically and formulate effective plans and strategies.
• Understanding of business and buying processes and systems.
• Retail market and industry knowledge
• Knowledge of markdown and mark up pricing, visibility to drive sales, sell-through
• Proven experience in delivering and executing business and BU strategy
• Ability to travel both locally and internationally
• Strong numerical and analytical skills

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and Execute a Departmental Seasonal Plan
• • Collaborate with Planning and Sourcing to develop product, fabric and trading strategy to ensure the delivery of relevant KPI’s.
  • Utilise multiple data sources from design direction, global and local trend research, current trade and post-seasonal data, customer analytics, product and sourcing strategy, competitor intelligence and benchmarking, First Insights and EDITED to provide product direction for seasonal plan workshops in line with the overall Group Strategy.
  • Present seasonal plan inclusive of key strategic areas, must-win categories / items and channel-specific considerations.

• Build a Profitable Balanced Range
• • Conduct workshops to develop an on-brand product range that is trend appropriate and meets customer expectations, incorporating local and international comparative analysis, intelligence and benchmarking, with a clear intent of growth/exit product categories aligned with strategic goals.
  • Collaborate with the Design team to deliver a balanced range (styling, fabric, colour) within agreed price architecture and ensuring alignment to critical path and merchandise cycle milestones.
  • Collaborate with the Sourcing team on product development, including new concepts, supplier selection, costings, tech packs, packaging and quote approvals in line with the critical path milestones and merchandise cycle.
  • Collaborate with the Technical Product Development (TPD) on all sample approvals and sign-off samples, product reviews, final product presentation and innovation opportunities in line with the critical path milestones and merchandise cycle.
  • Introduce new product concepts and collaborate with suppliers and sourcing on new product innovation.
  • Conduct product reviews and present the final product (concept, pre-production/production samples, packaging), taking into account display strategy (e.g. tables, ticketing).
  • Collaborate with planning (financials, assortment plan) and reconcile with strategy by grade, channel (online, Edit, Africa).

• Lead Customer Understanding and Competitive Intelligence
• • Work closely with Marketing to understand the Woolworths customer, including incorporating quarterly updates from the customer team and utilising First Insights.
  • Conduct market and trend research (EDITED, WGSN, competitor store visits) to understand the competitive landscape, range offering, product differentiation and merchandising strategies.
  • Analyse customer ratings and reviews to understand online customer preferences and customer experience.
  • Utilise supplier information and overseas travel to gain market insights and trial new products.
  • Develop a product marketing proposal to optimize the customer experience instore and online.

• Actively Trade Product Range
• • Weekly sales trade analysis - analyse relevant reports (Monday trade, item report, style cards, Edited) to understand product and sales performance across channels to influence trade decisions, opportunities and actions to optimise sales.
  • Develop action plans collaboratively with Planners to address product performance and relay feedback to management. Feedback to include competitor landscape analysis.
  • Drive collaboration with Sourcing stakeholders in turning on or turning off product based on product performance.
  • Suggest promotional and markdown strategy and propose volume adjustments.
  • Communicate any changes from current trade that impact other departments e.g. marketing and visual merchandising.
  • Weekly team standstill with Quad team to align on weekly tasks including production & shipment standstill, supplier communication and trade actions.

• People Management
• • Ensure skills transfer through leading, coaching and mentorship to buyers 1 and buyers assistants
  • Develop direct reports with regards to their career plans
  • Manage performance through IPM process
  • Support training and adoption of new ways of working including buying systems and processes.
  • Build strong networks and strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders