Apprenticeship training course
Assistant buyer and assistant merchandiser (level 6)
Sourcing, selecting, maintaining and delivering the right products to meet demand and business objectives.
- Qualification level
-
6
Equivalent to degree. - Typical duration
- 24 months
- Apprenticeship category
- Sales, marketing and procurement
- Maximum funding
-
£10,000
Maximum amount government will fund
for apprenticeship training. - Also known as
-
- Assistant buyer
- Assistant merchandiser
- Buyer
- Merchandiser
- Skills
-
Skills an apprentice will learn
- Apply understanding of customer and business operations to inform decisions on product and service portfolio management.
- Selects and merchandises products that enhance the company brand image and product portfolio.
- Anticipates the need for products and ensures that the buying process enables their effective delivery to the customer
- Delivers and articulates supported recommendations regarding the introduction or withdrawal of a product and product range.
- Analyse and react to main influences on Buying and Merchandising plans, taking appropriate actions as a result.
- Leads the team to construct the key buying and merchandising objectives and plans for the specific product range to reach or exceed sales at forecasted levels.
- Makes appropriate managerial decisions to ensure the departmental approach to selecting products and services balances quality and commerciality
- Uses management -based monitoring procedures throughout the buying and merchandising process, taking account of legal and other requirements to ensuring product compliance is maintained.
- Critically evaluate and advocate opportunities presented by new technologies taking account of how they will impact on the product range, fulfilment and consumer behaviour.
- Analyses appropriate cost and income influences on buying and merchandising plans to make informed decisions
- Through their influence as a leader, looks to use digital opportunities to drive sales and profitability across all channels where appropriate
- Demonstrates how to negotiate in a manner that obtains the optimum outcome for the business
- Through their leadership and management of the team, demonstrates a strategic approach to the relationship with other departments.
- Anticipates potential problems and opportunities through the effective liaison at the appropriate level with other teams and functions.
- Critically reviews and revises plans and forecasts for the function, taking into account the latest trend analyses, to produce the range.
- Develops and implements a ‘People Plan’, that is effective in ensuring sufficient team capacity and capabilities to deliver on business objectives
- Demonstrates an effective leadership style in achieving the key business objectives.
- Ensure continuous personal and team development to enhance delivery
- By using data, analyse and predict the customer’s current and future needs and purchasing trends, including how the customer journey is impacted
- Using critical research, construct a customer engagement plan identifying the effective and profitable channels to market.
- Demonstrate effective problem solving and time management skills, and an expert written and verbal communication style
- : Assess the impact that they have on key external relationships, and adjusts their style to ensure that they achieve maximum benefit for the business
Full information on Assistant buyer and assistant merchandiser (level 6) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.