Junior Buyer - Home Range

At Dobbies, we give customers a reason to visit, again and again. That reason is our product: inspiring, seasonal and often only found with us. We're looking for a Junior Buyer with a positive, can-do attitude to help us source, develop and launch the commercial ranges and unique products that set us apart.

You'll work alongside our Buyers and Senior Buyers in a successful, high-performing buying and merchandising team. You'll get hands-on experience of product sourcing, range development and supplier management, all within a fast-paced multichannel retail business. If you're excited by the idea of seeing products you helped choose on shelves and online, and you're not afraid to question how things are done, we'd love to hear from you.

• Sourcing and developing ranges. Help build commercial ranges and find exciting, unique products that customers can't get anywhere else.
• Building supplier relationships. Develop strong partnerships with suppliers to secure the best range, price, quality and commercial terms for Dobbies.
• Owning the critical path. Build and manage the critical path with key stakeholders so every product launches in line with our seasonal launch dates.
• Driving sales and margin. Hit and beat company KPIs on sales and margin in your product area.
• Spotting trends early. Review consumer buying patterns and customer insight to understand where future trends are heading.
• Getting out there. Attend trade shows and trade fairs and visit suppliers, helping select new collections and grow a supply base that gives us a competitive edge.
• Challenging the numbers. Regularly review performance indicators such as sales and discount levels, and propose actions to improve them.
• Reporting and forecasting. Write clear reports and forecast sales levels to support confident buying decisions.
• Learning the supply chain. Build your understanding of supply chain and work with the team to protect stock availability.
• Thinking multichannel. Make sure product is available and well represented across every selling channel, in store and online.

Salary/Benefits: Competitive Salary

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full Time

Hours per week: 36.25 hours per week

We care as much about attitude as experience. You'll be:

• Positive and can-do. You see a challenge and get stuck in.
• Driven, with real fire in the belly. You're hungry to learn, grow and make your mark in retail buying.
• Willing to challenge and improve. You ask "why?" and "what if?", and you bring ideas that make our ranges and processes better.
• A team player who loves winning. You're excited to be part of a successful, high-performing team and to play your part in its results.

You'll also bring:

• Experience in a retail buying, buying admin, merchandising or product role (Buying Assistant or similar), or a strong commercial background and the drive to move into buying
• A commercial head for numbers, with confidence using Excel to analyse sales, margin and KPIs
• Great communication and relationship-building skills, with suppliers and with colleagues
• Strong organisation, with the ability to juggle deadlines across a critical path
• A genuine interest in product, trends and what makes customers buy
• Experience in garden centre, homeware, gifting or seasonal retail is a bonus, but not essential

This role sits at the heart of the business. You'll work closely with suppliers, our stores and online teams, the wider buying and merchandising team, our customer team, IT, and colleagues across Dobbies.

• Our ranges and products meet, and exceed, customer expectations
• Suppliers are well managed, with excellent relationships on both sides
• Exciting future products are sourced and bought
• Margin and turnover meet and beat budget