About GMG

GMG is a global well-being company retailing, distributing and manufacturing a portfolio of leading international and home-grown brands across sport, food and health sectors. Its vision is to inspire people to win in ways that make the world better. Today, GMG’s investments span across four key verticals: GMG Sports, GMG Food, GMG Health, and GMG Consumer Goods. Under the ownership and management of the Baker family, it has become a leading global company, affiliated with the world’s most successful and respected brands in the well-being sector. Working across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, GMG has introduced more than 120 brands into its markets.


About the role:
The role holder is responsible for developing strategic buying plans for the assigned brand/category. The role holder also ensures smooth buying operations in compliance with the principal/supplier contract principles to achieve the strategic and financial objectives of the brand/category.

Responsibilities:

• Determines the buying requirements and formulates buying plan and budget for the assigned brand/category, based on the analysis of the historical trends and future forecasts
• Creates buying plans to ensure profitability by maintaining and building consumer focused brand/category lines and managing SKU performance and efficiency
• Aligns the buying plan to the overall business unit plan and strategy as laid down by the company’s directions
• Tracks and evaluates brand/category sales performance, market sales trends and competitor trading activities to identify critical business factors and proposed action plans to increase sales and profitability
• Consolidates and analyzes actual sales results to plan and forecast in-season sales/inventories on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis to drive sales, bottom-line profitability and inventory targets to meet or exceed financial goals
• Helps meet the profit targets by ensuring timely launches of the merchandise at stores and ecomm
• Manages placement of orders based on the buying plans and ensures merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement
• Ensures identification of buying opportunities to range products and to ensure that business unit maintains its competitive edge by constant renegotiation with principal/supplier
• Ensures effective communication, collation and follow-up on various product requirements and findings obtained from the sales/store data
• Collaborate and negotiates to obtain the right assortment for the business by also maintaining a good relationship with principal/supplier
• Keeps abreast of the latest trends in buying and discuss the same with the buying manager to assess realignment of existing processes
• Ensures the development of periodic reports on consumer behavior, consumer trends per product etc. to facilitate decisions to maintain, liquidate or dispose-off products or continue/discontinue with the product lines
• Manages and monitors the day to day activities of the buying team, providing guidance as and when required.
  • Participates in capacity and option planning to determine the capacity required and ensure smooth supply of products
• Prepare seasonal buying information to facilitate for Seasonal Product Presentation
• Ensuring accuracy and consistent updates on product information, and product status via orderbook management.
• Places orders with the selected vendor(s) based on the buying plans and ensures merchandise is delivered as per the plan based on the agreed service level agreement.

About the requirements:

• Diploma/Degree in Business Management/Buying and Merchandising or its equivalent
• 3- 5 years of working experience in retail environment, buying or planning
  
• Written and Spoken English is essential
• Additional skills: Planning and Organizing, Data gathering and analysis, MS Office and Tools, Knowledge of ERP (relevant) and Capacity Planning Knowledge