Buyer & Merchandiser

Role Overview

The Buyer & Merchandiser is responsible for curating and delivering a compelling assortment of Footwear, Apparel, and Equipment across Football Performance and Football Culture categories for our APEX Retail stores. Working closely with leading Sports and Fashion brands and cross-category internal buying teams, this role ensures that the product offering is both commercially viable and aligned with brand direction and consumer demand.

The role acts as the central point of contact between internal stakeholders and external suppliers, driving end-to-end product planning-from range selection and buying to launch planning, merchandising execution, and in-store storytelling.

Responsibilities of a Buyer & Merchandiser:

• Develop and manage a curated product assortment across Football Performance and Culture, spanning footwear, apparel, and equipment.
• Analyse consumer trends, sales data, and market insights to identify opportunities for innovation and growth within the category.
• Coordinate with internal buying teams to ensure alignment with broader merchandising strategies and seasonal direction.
• Manage supplier communication, product briefs, order timelines, and delivery performance.
• Own the planning, coordination, and execution of seasonal and key-launch moments in-store.
• Work cross-functionally with marketing, retail operations, and VM teams to deliver impactful retail experiences.
• Monitor weekly sales, sell-through, and stock levels to react quickly with in-season adjustments with brands and suppliers.
• Conduct store visits to assess product performance, visual execution, and consumer feedback.
• Report on category performance and make recommendations to drive revenue, margin, and inventory efficiency.

Skills of a Buyer & Merchandiser:

• Experience in Buying, Merchandising, or Category Management within Sportswear, Fashion, or Footwear retail.
• Strong product instinct with an understanding of Football performance technologies, cultural trends, and the global sportswear landscape.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills with both internal teams and external suppliers.
• Commercial acumen with experience using data to form actionable insights and recommendations.
• Highly organised, detail-focused, and able to manage multiple deadlines and cross-functional projects.
• Proficiency in assortment planning, merchandising systems, and product lifecycle management.
• Visual or retail merchandising experience preferred, particularly in branded shop-in-shop or category-focused presentations.
• Direct involvement in working with premium sports or fashion brands (e.g., Nike, adidas, Puma, New Balance, etc.).
• Experience supporting in-store launches, range builds, or visual merchandising planning for physical stores.

Benefits of a Buyer & Merchandiser:

• 28 days of annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays).
• 3 days paid sick leave.
• 3% Employer Pension Contribution.
• Staff discount of up to 30% (Pro:
  
  Direct) and 40% (Do Clothing)
• Seasonal shutdown over the Christmas period with a gifted day of leave.
• Discounted Gym Membership through Premier Gym, Newton Abbot.
• National Gym discounts are available through Hussle and Nuffield Health.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) through AXA Health for staff & family members
• Annual Pay Reviews and Appraisals.
• 'Refer a friend' policy, with bonus rewards for successful referrals.
• Free Annual Flu Jabs.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Scheme for staff with over 5 years length-of-service.
• Casual work attire.

What we look for in our team:

• To add cultural and professional value to the team
• Be 100% yourself - we are genuine and love what we do
• Passion without it, we would not be where we are today
• A true team player - we work hard and play hard together
• We don't have time for lone wolves - we build everything together
• A true desire to deliver outstanding customer-focused solutions

A little bit about us:

Team Pro Direct is built on a passion for sport, product, and service. Our team has worked relentlessly over the past 30 years to ensure we connect athletes worldwide with the best choice of products. We make it our mission to engage with and awaken the passion within our customers; we strive to produce the best possible experience and want them to love sport and sport products as much as we do.

We are a hard-hitting and lively band of professionals, dedicated to changing the world of online sports retail.