Buyer, Technology - Internal

As a valued London Drugs family member, the opportunities for career growth are unlimited! Here is a great chance for you to grow your skills and experience.We are seeking innovative, customer focused people to join our team! 
Our Richmond Head Office currently has opportunities for:  Buyer, Technology

Why This Role Matters
Our Technology Buying team plays a key role in shaping the products our customers discover every day. As Buyer, Technology, you’ll lead the development of a compelling product assortments, build strong vendor partnerships, and ensure we deliver products that meet customer needs while supporting our financial goals. This role requires strong merchandising judgment, financial acumen, and the ability to collaborate effectively across Planning, Pricing, Space Planning, Supply Chain, and Marketing to drive category performance.

What You’ll Do

Product Selection & Assortment Planning

• Build and maintain product assortments that balance customer needs, market trends, and financial targets
• Identify new products, brands, and vendors to keep our assortment fresh and competitive
• Conduct market and competitive analysis to spot opportunities in pricing, assortment, and merchandising
• Partner with Planning to determine assortment breadth and depth
• Manage the full product lifecycle, including seasonal transitions and end of life planning

Vendor Management & Negotiation

• Develop strong vendor relationships to secure favorable terms and promotional support
• Negotiate cost, payment terms, minimum order quantities, and funding
• Evaluate vendor performance and address issues when needed
• Attend trade shows and vendor meetings to discover new opportunities
• Manage vendor contracts and ensure compliance with company policies

Financial Management & Margin Optimization

• Partner with Pricing on everyday and promotional pricing strategies
• Manage Open to Buy with Planning to balance inventory and sales opportunities
• Analyze category performance (sales, margin, inventory turn, GMROI)
• Identify ways to improve profitability through assortment, cost, or pricing decisions

Promotional Planning & Merchandising

• Secure vendor promotional funding and cooperative advertising support
• Collaborate with Marketing on promotional messaging and campaign execution
• Work with Space Planning on displays, endcaps, and seasonal merchandising

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Planning on demand forecasting, inventory levels, and allocation strategies
• Collaborate with Pricing on competitive positioning, promotional mechanics, and markdown optimization
• Work with Space Planning on category space allocation, planogram development, and merchandising standards
• Coordinate with Supply Chain on order timing, shipping requirements, and vendor compliance
• Provide product information to Master Data Management for accurate item

What You Bring

Core Competencies

• Merchandising Acumen: Uses strong product judgment and understands customer needs. Identifies trends early and builds compelling assortments that balance newness with proven performers.
• Negotiation & Influence: Builds productive vendor relationships and negotiates fair, mutually beneficial terms. Influences internal partners without direct authority.
• Financial Discipline: Makes margin conscious decisions and understands trade offs between margin, turn, and market share. Manages Open to Buy responsibly.
• Collaboration: Works effectively with Planning, Pricing, Space Planning, Supply Chain, and other partners. Communicates clearly and builds trusted relationships.
• Results Orientation: Takes ownership of category performance and acts quickly on opportunities or issues.
• Customer Focus: Makes decisions with the customer in mind and evaluates assortment choices through the customer lens.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong product sense and ability to understand customer needs and market trends
• Proven negotiation skills and ability to build productive vendor partnerships
• Understanding of retail financial metrics (margin, turn, GMROI, Open to Buy)
• Strong analytical skills, including proficiency in Excel
• Clear communication and relationship building skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with relevant technology categories
• Familiarity with merchandising or retail management