Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
LANGUAGES
Websites
ACHIEVEMENTS & HOBBIES
Timeline
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Rachel Davis

Hemel Hempstead,Hertfordshire

Summary

A Senior Assistant Buyer with experience within Retail & Luxury fashion buying; specifically within bags, accessories and footwear. I am experienced in managing the complete buying process including product development, price negotiation, range build and trading. Alongside my Buying career, being a content creator has proven to give early insight into trends and a strong understanding of the customer; which has translated into volume sales for my categories. I am looking for a Junior Buyer role within non-clothing fashion.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Senior Assistant Buyer

Harrods
London
09.2024 - Current
  • Developing over 150 new options a season for Own label Harrods Bags & Accessories across Men's, Women's & Kids. Categories include luxury leather bags, leather SLG's, Core print bags, Belts, Cufflinks and travel bags.
  • Own Strategy, development, costing and sign off for Men's luxury bags & accessories.
  • Working closely with the Designer for on fabric, leather and trim sourcing projects while constantly presenting trends for relevant product opportunities.
  • Built relationships with UK, EU, Far East and Indian supplier, including travelling for supplier sourcing visits.
  • Introduced and created new WOW within Harrods such as their critical path format and costing documents.
  • Working closely with Merchandising, retail and marketing including weekly floor walks with retail team reviewing product and floor plan.
  • Supported Buyer on brand collaboration projects for luxury travel ranges.
  • Managed and developed two buying assistants.

Established Assistant Buyer

ASOS- Women’s Own Brand Footwear
04.2022 - 09.2024
  • Develop, buy and manage the end-to-end product cycle of Flat shoes categories including design development, range build, fit sessions, presenting sign off and managing trade.
  • Grew Flat shoes category up on the year +23% achieving target sales plan for AW23 & SS24, proven to build a strong range that met planned seasonal sales.
  • Have proven to identify key product trends that led to volume sales e.g. Identified Mary Janes as a key trend early AW23, which now accounts for 60% of the category fashion sales.
  • Worked closely with the designer to build product ranges through supplier design appointments and design tech packs.
  • Independently cost and negotiated with global suppliers to high intake and ELC margins, to increase profit while maintaining strong supplier relationships. Grown category intake margin by 3.0% in the last year.
  • Work closely with Merchandiser to manage OTB, shape and affect planned season sales and present monthly CUM/BTA to senior management.
  • Manage a Buying Assistant- responsible for their daily tasks and development.
  • Overseeing critical path, ensuring timely delivery and reacting to trade.

Assistant Buyer

Kurt Geiger- Luxury Footwear and Accessories
03.2021 - 01.2022
  • Working alongside the Head of the Brand to develop seasonal ranges across stores/E-commerce and wholesale luxury brands
  • Responsible for costing and buying over 200 options a season, from EU/ Asia and Brazilian suppliers
  • Analysing weekly trade and E-com sales into actionable proposals to increase profit. Buying branded ranges for US wholesale and sites such as Dillards.
  • Collaborating with marketing, VM and social media teams to provide clear marketing and engagement strategies across our social platforms.
  • Worked closely with the Selfridges senior retail team on store layout, stock and customer insights.

Buying Assistant

River Island- Footwear
09.2018 - 01.2021
  • Organising and fitting products twice a week on fit models, translating fit comments and liaising with suppliers, designers, and fit technicians.
  • Complete Market research and comp shops, in the aim to identify key strategies to increase sales and create a stronger more sustainable brand.
  • Identifying key styles and trends suitable for upcoming seasons or gaps in the current market.
  • Maintaining the critical path and product lifecycle within a best-selling department.

Sales Assistant - Trafford Centre

Selfridges
10.2015 - 01.2018
  • Delivered extraordinary customer service over a Global customer base through interactive service.
  • Having an in-depth knowledge of Selfridges and its luxury catalogue translated to exceeding monthly sales on homeware products. Gaining valuable fashion retail experience within an innovative department store.

Education

Intro to Buying & Merchandising - short course

London College of Fashion
05.2019 - 07.2019

BSc - Textile Science & Technology

The University of Manchester
01.2014 - 01.2018

Skills

  • Costing & Negotiating
  • Sourcing Fabrics and trims
  • Range build/ presenting sign off/ writing strategy packs
  • Design development of own label product
  • Critical path
  • Analysing and reacting to trade/ presenting weekly trade
  • Excel, Word, PowerPoint, One Note, Access
  • Adobe, Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator


LANGUAGES

Fluent English
Basic French/Learning Arabic

ACHIEVEMENTS & HOBBIES

  • Represent ASOS at fashion press events as an ASOS INSIDER (fashion content creator and presenter).
  • Https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7168275214521380864/
  • DEI Reverse Mentoring Scheme - Mentoring James Barren Director of Brands in diversity and inclusion
  • Coordinated a fundraising campaign for NSPCC through a skydiving event, generating awareness and donations exceeding $5,000 for the NSPCC child protection
  • Certified Scuba diver with PADI

Timeline

Senior Assistant Buyer

Harrods
09.2024 - Current

Established Assistant Buyer

ASOS- Women’s Own Brand Footwear
04.2022 - 09.2024

Assistant Buyer

Kurt Geiger- Luxury Footwear and Accessories
03.2021 - 01.2022

Intro to Buying & Merchandising - short course

London College of Fashion
05.2019 - 07.2019

Buying Assistant

River Island- Footwear
09.2018 - 01.2021

Sales Assistant - Trafford Centre

Selfridges
10.2015 - 01.2018

BSc - Textile Science & Technology

The University of Manchester
01.2014 - 01.2018

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Rachel Davis