Practical Gardening Buyer – Coordinator
We are now pleased to invite applications for the position of Practical Gardening Coordinator. Reporting to the Retail Lead Buyer, this role involves being part of the Buying Team located in North Cork, with responsibilities including visiting suppliers, other Superstores & Competitor stores, trade shows, or meetings. The role requires proactive work with energy, commitment, professionalism, and discretion, with an eye for detail, reporting directly to the Retail Buyer. The key purpose is to contribute to the continued growth, deliver the budget, and implement key category initiatives for the Practical Gardening category.
Responsibilities
Customer Focus:
* Coordinate and manage the promotional calendar, including Plant of the Month & multi-buys.
* Support planning and implementation of Seeds and Bulb sub-group for key selling periods.
* Develop a range of plants and shrubs to increase sales and profitability during the Autumn period.
* Monitor and ensure appropriate stock levels of core and seasonal stock.
* Manage the ecommerce offering of plants & shrubs, including bedding plants and Christmas gifting ranges, ensuring relevant data and images are up-to-date.
Driving for Results:
* Develop and grow sales and variety opportunities from Dutch, UK, and other EU growers, especially for Autumn/Winter, Christmas, and when products are short from Irish growers.
* Coordinate and manage the planting requirements (quantities and varieties) for bedding plants across relevant stores for the full 2025 season.
* Maximize supplier support for store write-offs.
* Review and track sales, margin, and stock performance of relevant product sub-groups.
People:
* Ensure excellent communication with stores, suppliers, the buying team, and other relevant Dairygold functions such as Marketing, Accounts Payable, and Finance.
* Attend weekly performance review meetings with buyers and actively participate in the weekly Garden Horticulture team, producing updates and content.
* Liaise with the Marketing Department regarding promotional products, prices, and images.
Processes:
* Ensure the highest quality of products available to the store network, exceeding customer expectations in size, color, quality, and price, which may require supplier inspections.
* Participate in the procurement of the garden accessories sub-group, including pots, planters, and accessories.
* Place and track purchase orders, maintaining supplier catalogues and updating product descriptions and prices on the retail website.
We want to hear from you if you have:
* Previous relevant experience and competence.
* A relevant purchasing or business administration qualification.
* In-depth knowledge of garden plants, key seasonal selling periods, and ability to work across departments.
* Proficiency in MS Office suite and business intelligence tools.
* Previous experience in agriculture or retail, with knowledge of the product range preferred.
* Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills.
* Customer-focused with strong attention to detail and discretion.
* Self-motivated, flexible, and able to influence at all organizational levels.
#J-18808-Ljbffr