Textile Buyer

About Dunnes Stores

Dunnes Stores is Ireland’s foremost retailer, operating at the forefront of food, fashion, and home retailing. With over 130 outlets across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Spain, alongside a growing e-commerce platform, the company continually expands its product and service offerings.

Role Overview and Responsibilities

The Retail Buyer will be central to planning, developing, and sourcing trend-driven commercial ranges that meet sales and profit objectives for their department, maintaining strict adherence to key performance indicators.

• Collaborate with the Department Merchandiser to formulate budgets and seasonal range plans.
• Ensure a commercially balanced and competitively priced product assortment, tailored regionally and for online sales, including exclusive online selections.
• Analyze sales data across product lines, colors, sizes, and regions to inform strategic decisions.
• Drive the department’s sustainability initiatives by setting and meeting targets aligning with Dunnes Stores’ overall sustainability goals.
• Manage supplier relationships to evaluate performance in terms of innovation, reliability, quality, sustainability, and competitiveness.
• Review and enhance the supply base by integrating new factories and sources in partnership with the Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing teams, ensuring quality and value addition.
• Coordinate with buyers across divisions to negotiate optimal cost and value on shared materials and components.
• Collaborate with other divisions’ design and buying teams to harmonize product aesthetics and pricing strategies for shared commodities.
• Translate fabric trends and key materials into commercially viable consumer products consistent with brand attributes.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking to identify strengths, weaknesses, and merchandising opportunities, developing strategies to maintain market leadership both in-store and online.
• Work with Merchandisers to agree on sales budgets, monitor stock intake, and track sales performance, adapting strategies based on forecasts and open-to-buy assessments.
• Maintain quality assurance by agreeing on specifications and overseeing styling, fit, and garment details.
• Approve styling, fit tolerances, and size gradings in collaboration with the technical team, ensuring compliance with safety standards.
• Identify key seasonal items for press and media coverage and ensure stock availability aligned with demand.
• Review and endorse store merchandising plans with store operations teams.
• Regularly visit stores to support operations staff and gather customer feedback firsthand.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to the team, fostering development through practical training.
• Work closely with the department head to monitor the development of individuals and the team as a whole.