Footwear & Accessories Buyer-Old Khaki at Cape Union Mart

Job Description

• An exciting opportunity exists for a trend‑driven and commercially focused Footwear & Accessories Buyer within our Old Khaki team. We’re looking for an innovative Buyer with strong product development capability, excellent supplier management skills, and a passion for building a relevant and profitable range across both footwear and accessories.

Key Responsibilities

Range Building & Product Development

• Source, develop, and deliver a commercially strong footwear and accessories assortment for Old Khaki.
• Support the execution of seasonal strategies, ensuring alignment with brand DNA and customer needs.
• Manage the end‑to‑end product development process, including briefs, sampling, approvals, and quality checks.
• Conduct ongoing trend, market and competitor research (local + international) to inform range direction.

Supplier & Sourcing Management

• Build and manage strong relationships with local, international, and branded suppliers.
• Participate in supplier negotiations to achieve competitive pricing, quality, and delivery reliability.
• Monitor supplier performance and ensure adherence to company terms, standards, and timelines.
• Ensure all own‑brand product meets South African compliance and import requirements.

Commercial & Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Merchandise Planning to manage OTB, stock levels, and profitable in‑season actions.
• Prepare and support range reviews, product presentations, and seasonal strategy discussions.
• Collaborate with E‑commerce to ensure product imagery, copy, and information are optimized for online selling.
• Support the creation of marketing briefs and ensure alignment on seasonal product stories.
• Conduct regular store visits to understand customer needs and identify opportunities.

Product Lifecycle & Performance

• Monitor sell‑through, margin performance, and stock movement to drive informed in‑season decisions.
• Support quality assurance, including testing and resolving any product issues.
• Provide product knowledge support to stores when required.

Knowledge, Experience & Qualifications

• Grade 12 and a relevant Retail Diploma/Degree.
• 3–5 years’ experience as a Buyer or Assistant Buyer, ideally across footwear and/or accessories.
• Strong experience in product development and working with international suppliers (advantageous).
• Strong commercial acumen with a solid understanding of costings, margins, pricing structures, and sourcing.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally and internationally.

Behavioural Competencies

• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking ability.
• Passion for footwear, accessories, and trend‑driven categories.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Proactive, solutions‑orientated, and comfortable managing multiple priorities.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills.
• Team‑player who can influence and collaborate across departments.
• Confident presenter with the ability to convey product insights clearly.