Senior Buyer, A&F - EMEA

Abercrombie and Fitch Co.; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job description

Company Description

Job Description

Buying is the central function setting the course for our brands’ product; the hub of the wheel that ensures all teams are moving in the right direction to deliver a beautiful, compelling and profitable assortment. Working hand-in-hand with our design, planning and product development teams, buyers are the bridge between the strategy and creative direction of their line. Our merchandising & buying teams possess a blend of analytical ability and creative thinking, drawing from historical data and market trends to craft an assortment that stays true to our brands and excites our customer. This position is a part of our A&F Brand Team.

This job is located at our EMEA Home Office in London.

What Will You Be Doing?

1. Act as owner of the A&F brand for EMEA Stores and Web, reporting into Buying Director
2. Create the high-level strategies for the brand, ensuring they are consistent with overall A&F family of brands identity
3. 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
4. Create globally consistent yet regionally relevant product architecture to execute key strategies
5. Engage in foundational work to understand the brand position and current A&F customer
6. Be the expert in current selling analysis and historical selling knowledge for the region
7. 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
8. Leverage financial and strategic capabilities to influence promotions, pricing, product placement, etc. as well as product development and assortments
9. Participate in monthly plan meetings, highlighting areas of additional product opportunity and highlighting risk. Lead regional in-season buys, reacting to emerging trends and maximizing top sellers
10. Intimately understand regional customers’ preferences and interests by observing shopping patterns, regularly shopping competitors, aspirational brands / runway and monitoring media platforms
11. Share updates on trend and customer engagement with key partners across the organization
12. Understand competitive landscape by visiting key retailers monthly. Focus on newness, major style/color/pattern sku distortions & high-level pricing & promotion takeaways
13. Determine uptrends/downtrends in key attributes against current business to inform future assortment.
14. Participate in central assortment reviews on a seasonal basis, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys
15. Connect remotely and in-person with Marketing and Visual Merchandising teams to coordinate floorsets and bring product ideas to life for the customer
16. Lead and develop team of divisional buyers, responsible for growth and development within the team

What Do You Need To Bring?

1. Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience
2. Merchandising or Buying experience, preferably in apparel
3. Proven ability to thrive in team-based settings
4. Passion for the buying role, fashion retail, customer research, and the family of brands
5. Desire to take ownership for a portion of a multi-billion-dollar business
6. An acute eye for product and trend
7. A deep understanding of sales analysis and financial metrics that relate to your business
8. Strong presentation skills and the ability to communicate confidently to leadership
9. Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed by the department
10. A high comfort-level with analytical sales tools and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
11. 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 iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks. 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.

Our Brand

Would you jump at the chance to be part of reinventing one of the world’s most recognizable brands? At A&F, we’re on a mission to inspire our customers to be confident, feel comfortable, and face their fierce. Our goal is to create relevant products and brand experiences that allow our customers to define the narrative of their own stories. We approach the work week with a long weekend mindset: free from stress and with time well spent, we can realize our full potential.

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:

• Incentive bonus program
• Annual companywide review process
• Flexible spending accounts
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Associate assistance program
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
• Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
• Paid time off & one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
• Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are “work from anywhere” days for most roles & six work from anywhere weeks per year)
• Seven associate wellness half days per year
• Merchandise discount on all of our brands
• Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
• Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
• Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER