Position: Assistant Buyer – Home Accessories
Reporting to: Accessories Buyer
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: Competitive
Location: Hybrid/Norwich or London
Job Purpose
We are looking for an experienced and commercially astute Assistant Buyer to support our growing Home Accessories category. This role plays a key part in executing seasonal strategies, managing the critical path, and driving product and process improvements.
You’ll be expected to bring initiative, strong judgement, and a proactive mindset — someone who can anticipate needs, take ownership, and confidently support the Buyer in delivering a compelling and profitable product offer.
Key duties and responsibilities will include:
- Support the Accessories Buyer in the end-to-end Buying process, from range planning and product development through to delivery and trade.
- Take ownership of the critical path, proactively managing timelines and flagging risks across suppliers and internal teams to ensure smooth execution of seasonal launches.
- Build strong relationships with suppliers – chasing progress, resolving issues and escalating concerns or proposed solution to the Buyer, where appropriate
- Monitor sales, stock, margin and rate-or-sale data, to identify risks and opportunities, and support in-season decision-making.
- Conduct regular market and competitor analysis to inform pricing, design direction, and product opportunities.
Essential qualities and behaviours we’re looking for:
- Commercially aware with a genuine interest in product performance and customer needs.
- Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to managing multiple deadlines
- Proactive and self-motivated, able to anticipate next steps and take initiative without waiting for instruction
- Comfortable working at pace and staying calm under pressure
- Clear and confident communicator, able to build strong relationships with suppliers and internal teams
- Solutions-focused mindset, with good judgement and the ability to escalate issues constructively
- Team player who supports others and contributes to a collaborative working culture
Qualifications, skills and experience – essential:
- Proven experience in an Assistant Buyer or similar role within a homeware, interiors or lifestyle retail environment.
- Commercially aware with a keen interest in interiors and a strong understanding of customer preferences.
- Confident in analysing data to make informed, commercially-driven decisions.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong cross-functional relationships.
- Proactive, solutions-focused mindset – able to anticipate needs and work with minimal direction.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment.
- Confident user of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
- Collaborative team player who can delegate to junior team members while taking ownership of key deliverables.
Whilst not essential, it would be great if you had:
- Experience of using Netsuite CRM or similar ERP systems.
- Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and/or InDesign.
For more company information and to locate our careers page, follow the link https://careers.cotswoldco.com/
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