Assistant Buyer - Furniture - Homebox

Vendor and Product Research

• Keep abreast of the latest trends in buying and assess realign the existing processes.
• Support to identify and leverage alternate buying opportunities to source products and to ensure that the company maintains its competitive edge by constant renegotiation.
• Ensure effective communication, collation, and follow-up on various product requirements and findings obtained from the sales/store data.
• Gather information from industry trade groups or through trade shows/market visits.

Vendor Management

• Support in developing an adequate vendor base for the company through attending fairs & exhibitions.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers and negotiate the best deals with them for procuring merchandise.
• Maintain contact with vendors; update the list of vendors for bidding purposes; attend product demonstrations, obtain samples and literature regarding potential products and vendor capabilities, and confer with end users.
• Identify, evaluate, and suggest an appropriate vendor mix to achieve business objectives.

Order Management

• Place orders for new items and initiate repeat orders for the category based on the buying plan and planogram. Ensure merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement.
• Follow up with suppliers for production and packaging status.
• Support category buyer to implement financial and credit services agreements with the vendor that maximize profit and positively contribute to cash flow.
• Understand the OTB and place orders for new items and repeat orders accordingly for the categories he/she is responsible for based on the buying plan and ensure merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement.
• Monitor sales and movements of the newly launched products and initiate re-orders or de-list the range if it is not moving.

Market & Competition Study

• Conduct market & competition study in categories he/she is responsible for and suggest new product ranges accordingly.
• Determine buying requirements and formulate buying plan and budget for the company.
• Help to meet profit targets by ensuring timely procurement.
• Pursue cost reduction measures through centralized bulk buying and/or selecting appropriate vendor mix.