Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day
Overview of the role
The Retail Fashion Buyer coordinates, executes and manages the activities of Buying for Sandro, Maje, Hugo Boss and Aape within clothing, accessories, and footwear. It will include Buying from core to execution, classification, or key programs, depending on scope and complexity, and assists the Retail Merchandising Manager in developing, executing, and communicating a product strategy that meets or exceeds financial goals.
What you will do
Operations and Financial Product Assortment Management

• Line Assortment management, with selections by country, by door
• Creates assortment sheets
• Provides support and compiles data to aid in assessing product assortment.
• Participates in product review meetings with cross-functional teams
• Participates in bottoms-up planning meetings that determine quantities for all styles
• Updates with changes, distributes, and communicates changes to appropriate
• Provides support and compiles data for senior management line reviews
• Operations and Financial Product Assortment Management (75% of time)
• Line Assortment management, with selections by country, by door
• Creates assortment sheets
• Provides support and compiles data to aid in assessing product assortment.
• Participates in product review meetings with cross-functional teams
• Participates in bottoms-up planning meetings that determine quantities for all styles
• Updates with changes, distributes, and communicates changes to appropriate
• Provides support and compiles data for senior management line reviews
• Business partner reviews on an ongoing basis
• Provides input in line edit meetings
• Evaluates buys at style, class, and department level against initial plans, and
• Validates retail prices for all styles.

Buying

• Analyses product trends and historical data at departmental and classification level.
• Supports and compiles data as needed to aid in developing seasonal strategies, financial targets, and open-to-buy budgets.
• Attends pre-season meetings between buying and planning.
• Travels for markets and buys against open-to-buy and assortment plans
• Aligned with brand global strategy, seasonal strategy and global trends within luxury brands

In-Season Management

• Ensures the financial success of area by meeting or exceeding financial targets including sales, gross margin, gross margin return on investment, and turn goals.
• Reviews weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual sales performance and marketplace information to identify sales trends and business opportunities.
• Provides input and make recommendations to manager on changes to future product assortments and strategies based on in-season analysis and observations.
• Provides input in sales forecast and open-to-buy discussions that review sales and inventory against financial goals, and recommend changes to future order quantities, deliveries, pricing or markdown strategies.
• Develops expert knowledge of customer base by participating in local store visits, evaluates product execution and point of view, gets customer and store associate feedback, communicates to manager.
• Participates in competitive analysis of both direct competitors and opinion leader stores for trend inspiration by shopping these stores.
• Learns to evaluate product assortments, quality, pricing, merchandising strategies and business opportunities.

Communication

• Develops effective relationships with partners in field organization, store operations, visual, warehouse, production, vendors, etc. to maximize opportunities and minimize risks and / or liabilities
• Participates in weekly cross-functional meetings to share information on current business issues.
• Works effectively as a member of a cross functional team by focusing on team objectives and clear communication

Staff Development

• Provides training and feedback as needed to peers, Associate and Assistant Buyers through on the job training, behavioral feedback, and modelling, coaching, and identifying opportunities for formal training.
• Works efficiently as a member of a cross-functional department team (Merchandising, Planning, and Allocation) by focusing on team objectives and clear communication.

Required skills to be successful
Job-Specific Skills:

• Good verbal & written communication skills, MS Office skills, multi-Tasker
• Knowledge of merchandise trends and their financial implications
• Knowledge of basic merchandising, planning and the retail industry
• Clear understanding of financial measurements and how to utilize them in voicing and making decisions
• Effective listening, presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
• SAP experience is an additional benefit

Behavioural Competencies:

• Uses sound judgment when making decisions
• Act with integrity and respect
• Adapt to changes required by the business
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to manage promptly and independently also unexpected events and issues
• Ability to identify priorities and organize and plan activities to ensure proper and timely execution
• Able to travel

What equips you for the role
Minimum Qualifications and Knowledge:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent preferred, but not required

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum 3-5 years Buying / Merchandising experience with Fashion Retail with a proven track record for driving sales and profit results and training and developing a team of individuals.

About Al-Futtaim Retail
Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.

Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference…