Buying Manager

Role Overview

The Buying Manager / DGM (Retail) will head end-to-end category buying, assortment planning, and product sourcing for our retail store network. This role is responsible for , gross margins, and inventory turns by curating commercially successful apparel collections. The role requires regular on-ground travel across North Indian manufacturing and textile clusters to source merchandise, negotiate retail margins, track market trends, and ensure timely replenishment across stores.

Key Responsibilities

• Assortment Planning & OTB Management: Formulate seasonal buying plans, Open-to-Buy (OTB) budgets, and category mix (core, fashion, seasonal) based on store footfalls, regional preferences, and historical sales data.
• Vendor Sourcing & Hub Travel: Travel frequently across major North Indian manufacturing hubs (Delhi-NCR, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Surat/Tirupur linkages) to discover new vendors, negotiate direct-from-manufacturer sourcing, and secure store-ready inventory.
• Costing & Retail Margin Optimization: Execute landed cost calculations, target retail markups (IMU/MMU), and negotiate vendor prices, discounts, and payment terms to protect retail bottom lines.
• Trend Forecasting & Fast Fashion Adaptation: Track retail consumer trends, visual merchandising inputs, and fast-moving silhouettes to translate runaway trends into commercially viable retail floor collections.
• Fabric & Garment Evaluation: Assess fabric qualities (GSM, yarn blend, hand-feel, durability, wash-care compliance) to ensure all store apparel meets brand standards and minimizes customer returns.
• Store Performance & Inventory Health: Partner with retail operations and visual merchandising teams to review weekly sell-through rates, stock-to-sales ratios, markdown strategies, and aged inventory liquidation.
• Production & Delivery Timelines: Manage critical paths (T&A) with suppliers to ensure stock hits retail floors ahead of key festive periods, end-of-season sales (EOSS), and seasonal launches.

Candidate Requirements & Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum 8+ years of core retail buying or category management experience with established apparel retail chains, departmental stores, or multi-outlet fashion brands.
• Technical Mastery: In-depth knowledge of fabrics (knits, wovens, blends), garment construction, vendor cost-sheets, and quality testing standards.
• Retail Commercial Acumen: Hands-on expertise in retail KPIs (Sell-Through, OTB, Gross Margin Return on Investment - GMROI, Average Transaction Value - ATV, Markdowns).
• Supplier Network: Strong, existing vendor network across North Indian garment and textile manufacturing markets.
• Mobility: High willingness to travel frequently for vendor visits, fabric sourcing, factory audits, and store performance reviews.
• Education: Degree/Diploma in Fashion Merchandising, Retail Management, or Apparel Production from NIFT, Pearl Academy, FDDI, or a recognized institution.