LISA ADAMSON
Summary
I combine strong commercial decision-making with a customer-led approach to create product that delivers. With over 16 years' experience across Own Brand Womenswear, I've built a reputation for transforming category performance, developing successful product ranges and delivering sustainable sales and margin growth across multi-million-pound departments. I thrive on mentoring buying teams, building trusted supplier partnerships and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver exceptional results.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Buyer – Own Brand Curve & Knitwear
The Very Group
01.2023 - Current
- Responsible for the commercial strategy and performance of the £6m Curve department—returning to the category after a period of decline to reposition it by reshaping the product mix, strengthening essential and core categories, and improving fashion newness—delivering +4% sales vs budget, +34% AM vs budget, +29% YOY (+£400k). From 2024, also accountable for the £4m Knitwear department. Lead category direction, range architecture, sourcing strategy and team development to deliver profitable growth and improve customer relevance.
- Increased full-price sales by +33% vs budget, +29% YOY.
- Manage budgets alongside Merchandising, balancing sales, margin, stock investment and customer demand with a specific focus on OTB to ensure sufficient budget to trade NE and react quickly to emerging trends.
- Present seasonal range strategies, financial plans and product direction at sign-off meetings with senior management.
- Work closely with Design to develop customer-focused ranges aligned to trends and competitor analysis.
- Manage supplier strategy across Near East and Far East sources, including factory visits, face-to-face negotiations and product development.
- Conduct European shopping trips and market research to identify trends, competitor opportunities and future product direction.
- Use Power BI, BOARD and Excel to analyse trading performance and influence commercial decisions.
- Lead weekly trade meetings, reacting to sales performance and managing opportunities across the department.
- Supporting online trading priorities and Own Brand fashion visibility.
- Manage and develop Buying Assistants and Junior Buyer, ensuring effective prioritisation and delivery against critical paths.
- Drive sustainability initiatives across clothing, including BCI cotton, sustainable viscose and increased recycled polyester usage.
- Buying lead for the launch of The Very Collection AW25.
- Represent Own Brand Clothing for Black Friday, working with Marketing and Pricing teams to develop commercially effective offers.
- Customer Insight representative for Own Brand Fashion, using research and customer feedback to influence product decisions.
Buyer – Own Brand Jersey & Swimwear
The Very Group
01.2020 - 01.2023
- Owned the commercial strategy for the £16m Jersey department, delivering growth through strategic range planning, supplier partnerships and effective trading.
- Delivered +2% sales vs budget, +21% YOY sales growth, +8% AM growth (+£300k).
- Prioritised Jersey essentials and the core range to drive volume & collaborated with QA to ensure fit and quality were of a high standard versus key competitors.
- Elevated department fashionability and optimised OTB mix to accelerate speed-to-market for trend-led product.
- Successfully managed Covid trading challenges by working closely with suppliers to achieve cancellation targets, reduce forward commitments and align stock levels with changing customer demand and budgets.
- Managed an Assistant Buyer on Swimwear, providing coaching and development that led to their promotion to Junior Buyer.
Buyer – Own Brand Curve & Swimwear
The Very Group
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Promoted to Buyer with responsibility for Curve and Swimwear categories, managing the end-to-end buying process from strategy through to delivery.
- Managed product quality, fit improvements and critical path delivery.
- Supported and developed Assistant Buyers whilst ensuring successful seasonal execution.
Earlier Buying Career – Own Brand Womenswear
The Very Group
01.2010 - 01.2019
- Progressed through Assistant Buyer and Junior Buyer roles across different product categories, developing strong foundations in commercial buying, product development, supplier management and trading.
- Junior Buyer – Own Brand Swimwear (2017–2019)
- Junior Buyer – Own Brand Blouses & Dresses (2014–2017)
- Assistant Buyer – Own Brand Curve (2011–2014)
- Buyers Assistant – Ladies Branded Lingerie (2010–2011)
- Buyers Assistant – Own Brand Fast Fashion (2010)
Education
BA (Hons) - Textiles
Manchester Metropolitan University
BTEC Foundation Diploma - Art & Design
Wigan & Leigh College
4 A Levels -
St John Rigby College
10 GCSEs - Grades B–C
The Byrchall High School
Skills
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Negotiation skills
- Margin optimisation
- Materials planning
- Global sourcing
- Category management
- Supplier relationship management
- Technical product understanding
- Market analysis & Trend awareness
- Resilience under pressure
Career Highlights
- Delivered +21% YOY Demand growth across a £16m Jersey department, achieving +8% AM growth (+£300k).
- Turned around a declining £6m Curve department, delivering +4% Demand vs budget, +34% AM vs Budget, +29% YOY AM growth (+£400k).
- Increased Curve full-price sales by +33% vs Budget, +29% YOY.
- Led the Buying workstream for the launch of The Very Collection AW25, collaborating across Buying, Design, Merchandising, Marketing and Packaging.
- Developed strategic Near East sourcing opportunities to improve speed to market, flexibility and profitability.
- Led cross-category fabric consolidation and strategic fabric planning to maximise BIM and improve sourcing efficiencies.
Timeline
Buyer – Own Brand Curve & Knitwear
The Very Group
01.2023 - Current
Buyer – Own Brand Jersey & Swimwear
The Very Group
01.2020 - 01.2023
Buyer – Own Brand Curve & Swimwear
The Very Group
01.2019 - 01.2020
Earlier Buying Career – Own Brand Womenswear
The Very Group
01.2010 - 01.2019
BA (Hons) - Textiles
Manchester Metropolitan University
BTEC Foundation Diploma - Art & Design
Wigan & Leigh College
4 A Levels -
St John Rigby College
10 GCSEs - Grades B–C
The Byrchall High School