Responsibilities:
- Buying Merchandising:
- Lead the buying strategy to ensure alignment with market trends, customer preferences, and company goals.
- Develop and manage the seasonal product assortment, considering customer demands, market insights, and financial targets.
- Ensure a balanced and profitable product range by working closely with merchandising and planning teams.
- Negotiate prices, terms, and agreements with vendors to ensure competitive pricing while maintaining margins.
- Fabric and Costing Expertise:
- Oversee fabric selection, ensuring the materials are aligned with current trends, customer preferences, and quality standards.
- Analyze fabric costs and negotiate with suppliers to ensure cost-effective solutions without compromising on product quality.
- Manage the entire costing process from fabric sourcing to final garment production, ensuring profitability for each product.
- Sourcing Vendor Management:
- Identify and onboard new suppliers and vendors in line with the brand s quality and cost requirements.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers and vendors to ensure timely deliveries and consistency in product quality.
- Regularly evaluate vendor performance and conduct quality checks, negotiating improvements where necessary.
- Inventory Supply Chain Coordination:
- Collaborate with the supply chain team to ensure timely procurement and delivery of goods.
- Optimize stock levels to ensure the right balance between supply and demand while reducing overstock and stockouts.
- Market Trend Analysis:
- Conduct thorough market research and competitor analysis to stay updated on industry trends, customer preferences, and pricing strategies.
- Provide actionable insights to the merchandising and marketing teams to optimize the product offering.
- Team Collaboration Reporting:
- Work closely with cross-functional teams including merchandising, planning, supply chain, and marketing to ensure smooth execution of buying and merchandising strategies.
- Provide regular performance reports on buying, sourcing, and vendor management to senior management.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor s degree in Fashion Merchandising, Textile Management, Business Administration, or a related field (Master s degree is a plus).
- Minimum of 10+ years of experience in buying and merchandising in the apparel industry, preferably in export houses, brand retail, or value retail.
- Strong expertise in fabric selection, costing, sourcing, and vendor management.
- Deep understanding of current fashion trends, customer behaviour, and market demands.
- Proven ability to manage vendor relationships, negotiate pricing, and manage product assortment.
- Strong analytical skills, with experience in product costing, budgeting, and forecasting.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and any merchandising software
