Assistant Buyer, EMEA

ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000

Job description

Company Description

What Will You Be Doing?

• Within a single gender, act as owner for a full merchandise brand/gender/key focus departments within brand/gender for Abercrombie & Fitch or Hollister Co.
• Lead merchandise buys and distortions for relevant department, leveraging EMEA customer preferences and advancing regional business strategy while preserving brand identity and priorities.
• Create the high-level architecture for a EMEA-exclusive product assortment (expected to be 10-20% of total EMEA assortment by SKUs) while ensuring items are consistent with overall brand strategy and identity, and also will be top volume drivers in the EMEA assortment.
• Be the expert in current selling analysis and historical selling knowledge for the region
  
  • Leverage financial and strategic capabilities to influence promotions, pricing, product placement, etc., as well as product development and assortments.
• Intimately understand EMEA customers' preferences and interests by observing shopping patterns, regularly shopping competitors, and monitoring media platforms.
• Execute against key milestones / seasonal processes:
  
  • Following each season, execute a detailed hindsight / strategic line review process at the department level to inform future strategy and identify line list needs for design.
  • Present weekly selling / business updates as part of a regular Monday review process, evaluating performance, proposing tactical improvements, and consolidating results into a summary to be shared with the Home Office.
  • Participate in central assortment reviews on a seasonal basis, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys.
  • Participate in monthly Chase / Buy / Cut reviews to provide a regional perspective on key products and fine-tune assortments.
  • Participate in monthly MPC meetings, working with team to identify upsides and risks to the plan.
  • Connect remotely and in-person with Home Office Visual Merchandising teams to coordinate floorsets.
• Partner with Home Office teams to ensure EMEA-exclusive assortment is on track throughout the product development process, carrying out consistent updates and communicating effectively both remotely and in-person.

What Do You Need To Bring?

• Bachelor's or undergraduate University degree equivalent.
• 1-2 years of Merchandising or Buying experience, preferably in apparel.
• Proven leadership experience and ability to thrive in team-based settings.
• Passion for the merchant role, fashion retail, customer research, and the Abercrombie & Fitch Co. brands.
• Desire to take ownership for a portion of a global multi-billion-dollar business.
• An acute eye for product and trend.
• A deep understanding of sales analysis and financial metrics that relate to your business.
• Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate confidently to leadership.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed by the department.
• A high comfort-level with analytical sales tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• A collaborative approach to working with cross-functional partners to achieve the vision of the brand.

Our Company

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global retailer of five iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister, Gilly Hicks and Social Tourist. At A&F Co., we're here for our associates, customers and communities on the journey to being and becoming who they are - and because no journey is the same, we strive to create an inclusive culture, where everyone is free to share ideas.

Our Values

We lead with purpose and always put our people first, which is evidenced by our Great Place to Work Certification, as well as being a 2021 recipient of Fortune's Best Workplaces in Retail, and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for 16 consecutive years. We're proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.

What You'll Get

As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you'll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F is committed to providing simple, competitive, and comprehensive benefits that align with our Company's culture and values, but most importantly - with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward.

Additional Information

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER