The role of the Buyer Assistant is to provide administrative support to a Buyer and manages a wide variety of tasks related to the products in their defined categories. The Buyer Assistant plays a key role in the activation of marketing and operational initiatives and is a key point of contact for both internal and external stakeholders.
Category Maintenance:
- Manage the creation and maintenance of SKN information in the AS400 system accurately.
- Manage Price changes – mark ups, mark downs, new everyday retails, clearance.
- Manage product recalls and compliance orders.
Credit Allowance & Vendor Management:
- Compile Vendor data for setup and update system to reflect any changes in Vendor trading terms
- Maintain Funding spread sheet, coordinate Credit Allowance process, maintain CA Database and follow up for approvals where required.
- Investigate and resolve vendor price and invoice discrepancies.
- Attend and note take at vendor meetings.
- Negotiate with Vendor to secure trading terms and funding as required.
Marketing – Catalogues, Campaigns and Special Deals:
- Work with Inventory Control to ensure stock availability and respond with urgency to any Inventory changes.
- Maintain, update and review catalogue proofs on a weekly basis to verify item image, pricing, financials, and other details.
- Update Promotional Database with correct information for Catalogues, EDM, Flyers, Press Ads and other Temporary Price Change campaigns.
- Investigate and rectify any promotional Price discrepancies.
- Analyse Post-Campaign reporting including inventory levels by week of the promotion.
- Market research on prices and catalogues.
- Acquire and save all product images for marketing usage and acquiring samples for photography as required.
- Suggest product offers and projections for promotional campaigns.
- Review submissions for Accounting issues – keep track of products in promotional offers, particularly in back-to-back promotions to ensure compliance with legislative requirements and escalate concerns with urgency.
- Create and maintain Vendor promotional plans.
- Create item submissions for flyers and catalogues on behalf of Buyer where required.
Store Communications and Store Planning:
- Develop and submit information for Store Bulletins, clarifying details of weekly promotional deals, price changes, sales assistance material, ranging, visual merchandising etc.
- Liaise with stores as a main point of contact regarding category queries including top and bottom sellers; customer queries; visual merchandising; price changes and discrepancies, spare parts or product concerns; non-scanning items, catalogue/promotions queries.
General Reporting and Administrative support:
- Analyze Aged Inventory reports and suggesting mark downs/new retails.
- Complete and update Product safety and Compliance checking processes as required.
- Manage samples as required by Buyer.
- Leading or supporting other projects and duties as required from time to time.
Job Requirements:
- Diploma in Retail / Business or equivalent
- Preferably one year experience in retail
- Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office Skills
- Meticulous and good numerical sense
- Good communication skills
- Interested in toys/juvenile products, resourceful and a good team player
- Able to multi-task and work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
