Grocery Section Buyer

About Dunnes Stores

Dunnes Stores stands as Ireland's foremost retailer at the forefront of both food and fashion markets. Fully Irish-owned, the company operates over 130 outlets across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Spain, in addition to an expanding online presence. Constantly growing its product range and services, Dunnes Stores is dedicated to enhancing the shopping experience. The company's ethos revolves around delivering top-quality own-label products through its Dunnes Stores and Simply Better brands alongside popular Irish grocery brands, consistently offering competitive prices. A commitment to sourcing innovative, highest-quality food products in partnership with Irish suppliers is central to its offering. As part of ongoing store development, new categories covering food and non-food household and toiletries are being introduced in response to market trends.

Role Overview

The Grocery Section Buyer will play a vital role in the Grocery Buying team, contributing towards business expansion by carefully managing category strategies and supplier relations.

Key Duties

• Collaborate with the Buying team to formulate both short- and long-term strategies for assigned categories.
• Support the achievement of budgeted sales and profit margins for assigned sections.
• Identify emerging market trends and develop plans to leverage these opportunities.
• Oversee product range selection to maintain Dunnes Stores' market-leading offering.
• Ensure pricing competitiveness for both own-label and branded products at all times.
• Manage and expand the private label portfolio at every level.
• Build and nurture strong business relationships with existing suppliers and explore opportunities to onboard new ones.
• Plan and negotiate impactful promotional activities aimed at attracting customers and enhancing section growth.
• Work cross-functionally with departments such as Logistics, Space Planning, Operations, and Marketing to ensure seamless execution of category plans on shelves.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in section buying.
• Higher education qualification, preferably in Food or Business-related fields.
• Strong analytical abilities coupled with effective problem-solving skills.
• Passion for food and a keen interest in spotting upcoming trends is advantageous.
• Excellent communication capabilities.
• High attention to detail, able to manage multiple tasks within tight deadlines.
• Adept at operating effectively in a fast-paced and collaborative team environment.

Additional Information

Dunnes Stores is an Equal Opportunities Employer welcoming all suitable candidates to apply. This role offers an excellent opportunity to influence the growth trajectory of Ireland’s leading grocery retailer.