Grocery Buying Manager
Who We Are:
Abel & Cole has pioneered organic, ethical and sustainable food delivery for over 30 years. Doing things better is our bread and butter; from saving over 60 million plastic bags by using reusable boxes for our food deliveries, to finding alternatives to plastic long before it hit the headlines. We are forever challenging ourselves to find the most positive way to do business and want everyone to eat organic because it’s one way to save the future. It’s these values that enabled us to become B Corp certified; an optional audit we’ve gone through to recognise how we put people and planet before profit, as well as help us find room for further improvement.
We’re looking for more people to join our team of almost 600, to share our passion for doing the right thing even bigger and better than we do already. In a fast paced and competitive market, we know it’s our people who make the difference. We’ve learnt how important it is to recognise, develop and promote from within; and that trusting people lets them come up with the best ideas and that helps our entrepreneurial spirit to thrive.
Summary:
We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Buying Manager to oversee the purchasing and selling of products within, and strategic development of, our grocery range. This includes all products outside of our Fresh Produce and Recipe Kit categories. In this role, you will be responsible for leading the grocery buying team, and ultimately accountable for its sales, margin, product quality and range. The ideal candidate will be skilled in mentoring and provide ongoing coaching to encourage continuous improvement and development within the team.
You will work closely with the Head of Buying & Trading to develop a clear strategy to curate the right products for the range in terms of breadth, sustainability, taste, and quality, and sell them in the most optimal way. You will drive forward the realisation of this strategy with the team to deliver results, and using insights and data will work to develop future opportunities. Alongside the management role, you will also be responsible for a small number of buying categories, managing all aspects and being directly accountable for sales, margin, availability, quality, and of course, product range.
The role can be based in either Wimbledon or Andover, with two days required, on site, per week. Please note there will be occasions when travel to meet with suppliers is required.
What You’ll Be Doing:
Grocery Buying Management:
1. Inspire, lead and develop our grocery buying team, ensuring their professional growth and performance as a key priority.
2. Set clear team and individual objectives, providing regular feedback on performance.
3. Identify and address training and development needs within the team to improve skills in negotiation, supplier management, and commercial analysis.
4. Lead your team to deliver continuous optimisation of the range through product launches and delists, and by driving category innovation, both to surprise and delight customers and to secure a competitive advantage.
5. Lead the grocery team in their robust promotional plans and work collaboratively with the trading and marketing teams to deliver strong trading results.
6. Oversee forecasting, budgeting, and financial planning for the team.
7. Work hand in hand with the Fresh Produce Buying Manager, to ensure plans complement each other, and team management is cohesive.
8. Monitor key metrics such as sales/AOV performance and gross margin, with regular updates on projections, ideas, opportunities and risks.
9. Collaborate with other departments such as marketing, supply chain, technical, operations and finance to develop and execute cross-functional strategies that drive growth.
Category Management:
1. Delivering your category commercial objectives of sales, margin, and gross profit.
2. Reviewing relevant market and competitor insights to shape your category plans and strategy.
3. Continuous optimisation of the range through product launches and delists and driving category innovation, both to surprise and delight customers and to secure a competitive advantage.
4. Formulating robust promotional plans and working collaboratively with the trading and marketing teams to deliver strong trading results.
5. Building supplier relationships, risk, and opportunity planning, buying and category management responsibility for specific areas.
6. Working closely with the Supply Chain Planning Team to maximise availability, minimise wastage, and support them in their day-to-day supplier management.
7. Working closely with other cross-functional teams across marketing, technical, sustainability and operations to ensure effective collaboration.
About You:
1. Experience managing, developing, and motivating teams in a high-performance retail environment.
2. Previous buying experience, preferably within the grocery sector.
3. Track record delivering against key commercial metrics.
4. Numerate with good commercial awareness.
5. Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
6. Keen attention to detail.
7. An excellent communicator; possessing the ability to gain buy-in when necessary.
8. Computer literate, particularly in MS Office and Excel.
Want To See More:
Check us out at: www.abelandcole.co.uk, https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/abel-cole/, and Instagram.
Abel & Cole promotes equal opportunities for all employees. We want our employees to feel they can be themselves at work and develop their talents to the full. Members of staff are expected to take personal responsibility for keeping our workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying - a place where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully.
As part of the recruitment journey, if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments so you’re not disadvantaged, please contact us as soon as possible. We welcome applications from people with disabilities.
To support Abel & Cole’s commitment to inclusion and diversity, we ask that you remove all personal details from your CV. This includes removal of home address, D.O.B and place of education.
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