Homeware Buyer

Up to £45,000 per annum plus performance bonus and fantastic benefits

Based full-time on site

Our Homeware Buyer

Our Homeware Buyer will play a pivotal role in shaping and curating our lifestyle categories across ecommerce and in our retail stores.

Joining at a crucial stage of The Newt’s growth journey, the Homeware Buyer will be responsible for sourcing best in class products from trusted suppliers, negotiating contracts, managing supplier relationships, and overseeing product development.

They will enhance our gifting and homeware categories ensuring alignment with our brand identity, driving commercial success, and range growth.

The successful applicant will have a genuine passion for lifestyle products, can spot emerging trends, has deep knowledge of the homeware market and truly cares about making the shopping experience the best it can possibly be, understanding the balance of commercial success with maintaining The Newt’s brand integrity.

Key Responsibilities

Curating a range of beautiful, high quality lifestyle products which speak to the pillars of our Estate and meet the needs of our guests.
Developing iconic Newt branded lifestyle products, following a robust NPD process including QC, testing and compliance.
Driving turnover across our channels in the lifestyle categories, ensuring products launch on time and hit intake margin targets.
Leading the sourcing strategy, finding the best suppliers, providing them with seasonal forecasts, and negotiating better prices, preferential terms and excellent quality.
Responsible for category budgets and option counts; monitoring & maintaining price point hierarchy as well as driving margin improvement.
Demanding exceptional quality at every stage, from setting supplier expectations, inspections, to delivery to The Newt, and then continuing spot checks through the product lifecycle to both ecommerce retail stores.
Working with the merchandising department to analyse sales across all channels, managing inventory and stock ordering, paying close attention to continuity lines, best sellers, discontinued lines and potential gaps.
Creating a strategy to minimise waste, monitoring slow sellers and implementing mark down strategy to clear stock to planned budget.
Consideration of packaging quality, durability, price and aesthetics as a key part of the product offer.
Understanding the market and new product innovations with regular comp shopping and attending tradeshows to keep up to date with trends and market insights.
Working with the marketing team on go to market plans to build excitement around products, as well as offering ideas, product information and promotions to deliver the sales plan.
Providing product guidance and training for our hospitality & shop staff, and customer services teams.

What we can offer

A positive workplace environment with opportunities to develop both personally and professionally.
Stay in shape with complimentary use of our gym and wellbeing classes
Look after your wellbeing with complimentary access to our Spa and swimming pools and our exclusive benefit of 50% off Spa Treatments.
Enjoy shopping in both our shops on the estate and online with 30% discount for all our colleagues and free delivery for any online purchases.
Discover exclusive perks with our discounted hotel stays for staff, accompanied by a fantastic 30% discount at our restaurants.
Complimentary garden membership for the Newt and our partner gardens including the Eden Project, Kew Gardens and The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Complimentary meal whilst on shift, created using fresh produce from our estate by our dedicated staff food chefs
We value your hard work and recognise your achievements through our colleague recognition programme “Newt Awards” with the opportunity to achieve a variety of amazing rewards including a complimentary Hotel Stay.
Support from our Employee Assistance Programme for both yourself and your family
A team that knows how to have fun with monthly team activities and Estate-wide team events
Access your earnings at anytime with Wagestream, with access to nationwide brand discounts
Up to 30 days annual leave each year for our full-time team

Skills and Experience:

At least 2 years proven experience at buyer level or above, working for elevated luxury brands across lifestyle categories such as food, interiors, homeware and fashion.
A creative flair for spotting trends and building ranges with consideration of exceptional presentation in store and online.
Demonstrable ability to drive commercial performance while upholding brand values and delivering a considered and elevated product proposition.
An entrepreneurial mindset, reacting in season to capitalise on best sellers and market trends.
Advanced Excel skills and a strong grasp of reporting and data analysis, equipped to handle all aspects of category management and range building.
Excellent negotiation skills, a track record of negotiating commercial agreements with prospective suppliers whilst forging lasting relationships.
Confident presentation style, comfortable presenting, with the ability to creatively pitch and sell in new product launches; proficient computing skills particularly with all MS office tools including PowerPoint.
Commercial with a results-oriented mindset with a proven ability to develop and execute sales strategies and good understanding of the market, the competition, product value, pricing strategy and margins.
Passionate with a genuine and personal interest in product and driven by desire for The Newt to be best in class with consideration for quality and provenance
Highly organised and rigorous with the ability to manage multiple projects at pace without compromising on detail.

Who are we - The Newt in Somerset

Nestled within an expanse of rolling fields and steeped in ancient history, our luxury country estate stands as a haven of refined elegance, inviting guests to explore acres of captivating gardens, meandering pathways, and enriching exhibitions - accessible 364 days a year for our members. Our hotel extends a warm welcome, offering a home-away-from-home experience where impeccable service flourishes in an ambiance of unassuming sophistication. Beyond the estate, the Newt's essence remains tangible, with our Ecommerce teams delivering our finest products to homes, while media and membership endeavours keep them informed of our latest developments. Behind the scenes, a tapestry of talented teams - from Housekeeping to HR, Finance to Farming - collaborates harmoniously, crafting an unforgettable journey of growth, development, and innovation, where every contribution creates unparalleled experiences.