Fashion Buyer

Location: Manchester (Hybrid) - please only apply if you are UK based and able to commute to our office

Reports to: Head of Product

Six Stories is looking for an exceptional Fashion Buyer to join our growing team. This is an exciting role with huge opportunity for a commercially sharp, dynamic and solutions-focused individual who cares deeply about building a profitable, market-leading range brand and most importantly, the customers who wear it.

We're looking for someone with a strong commercial instinct, a deep understanding of product and the drive to make things happen with a sense of 'today'. Someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, takes ownership and is excited to play a meaningful role in the next chapter of Six Stories.

Mission

Build and manage a commercially balanced range that maximises sales, margin and stock efficiency across Six Stories, translating design vision and customer insight into a profitable, market-leading assortment.

Role Overview

The Fashion Buyer at Six Stories brings commercial intelligence to our product vision. You will translate the brand's intention, customer insight and sales data into a range that is both creatively true to Six Stories and commercially strong.

Working closely with the Head of Product, Co-Founders, Merchandisers and Designers, you will own range architecture, open-to-buy and supplier negotiations from initial range planning through to in-season trading, ensuring every decision supports growth, margin and sell-through.

You will be a hands-on, detail-focused buyer who understands product, fabrication and construction as deeply as you understand sales data, margin, market positioning and trend.

You will take your responsibility to build a profitable, well-balanced range seriously, taking initiative to problem solve, act quickly and pivot when the market demands it.

Guided by the Six Stories values of joy, authenticity, community and quality, you will bring commercial rigour to established bestsellers and help shape new ranges that feel unmistakably Six Stories.

Key Responsibilities

Range Planning & Commercial Strategy

• Managing open-to-buy, ensuring buys are phased and quantified to support sales and stock targets.
• Own the delivery of market-leading ranges from initial concept through to bulk, ensuring commercial viability and timely delivery in line with launch plan.
• Manage the department's critical path and deliver decisions in a timely manner to ensure dates are maintained.
• Take initiative to lead new product, categories and ideas as the market demands.
• Reacting to trade by updating best-selling product and evolve this with new colourways, fabrications and silhouette variations, guided by sales performance.
• Constantly build a deep understanding of product, fabrics and price points across the wider market
• Using a deep understanding of trade to analyse and react where necessary.
• Manage wholesale and alignment in accordance to critical path and launch plan.
• Understand the omni-channel needs of the business and ensure market-places and wholesale accounts are catered for in range planning, phasing and CP.
• Foster warm and collaborative relationships with wholesale and market-place teams. Staying attune with trade and react accordingly.
• Own stock management across the range, balancing availability with markdown risk
• Use sales and stock data to inform in-season trading decisions, reorders and markdown strategy

Supplier & Cost Negotiation

• Responsible for leading cost price negotiations with suppliers, achieving target margin in line with business objectives without compromising quality.
• Foster positive, solution-based relationships with suppliers to secure the best cost, quality and delivery terms.
• Sourcing and onboarding new suppliers to strengthen core categories and expand into new ones.
• Work closely with the Head of Product and Designer to ensure costing feedback is built into range decisions early.
• Manage order placement, delivery schedules and any issue resolution with suppliers.
• Manage suppliers' expectations and delivery collaboratively and respectfully.
• Support supplier onboarding and commercial troubleshooting alongside the wider product team

Trend & Customer Insight

• Research and translate applicable fashion and bridal trends into commercially relevant range decisions.
• Build a strong understanding of the Six Stories customer, buying for her needs, price sensitivity and shopping behaviour.
• Align DTM and B2B customer insights.
• Monitor competitor product, pricing and market gaps to inform range planning and identify opportunity.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Head of Product, Co-Founders, Design and Merchandising to ensure the range supports commercial and margin goals.
• Present range plans, line-ups and line sheets with confidence to internal and wholesale stakeholders.
• Lead wholesale presentations and buyer conversations with clear, confident product and commercial storytelling.
• Work with Marketing and Brand to ensure product stories are communicated consistently and support sell-through.
• Understand and execute the ideas of the Head of Product and Founders

What great looks like

• A commercially minded problem-solver with a strong intuition for what will sell.
• A deep and a sense of purpose and ‘today’ to your work to keep up the pace.
• Deeply customer-obsessed, with an instinctive understanding of how to buy for her needs, budget and expectations.
• A confident collaborator, comfortable taking direction from the Head of Product and Co-Founders while bringing their own commercial point of view.
• Meticulous and detail-focused, with high standards that never slip on margin, costing or delivery.
• Creatively aware, able to balance commercial discipline with design integrity and brand intent.
• Calm and organised under pressure, able to manage multiple ranges, negotiations and deadlines at once.
• A deep care for the business and the product they put into the world.

Experience Required

• 5+ years experience as a Buyer within a related fashion category.
• A strong track record of managing open-to-buy and range planning from concept through to in-season trading.
• Proven experience negotiating cost prices and terms directly with suppliers.
• Solid understanding of product, fabrication and construction alongside sales data and margin.
• Experience managing or mentoring a Junior Buyer or Assistant.
• Confident using Excel and comfortable working with sales and stock data.
• Experience balancing commercial targets with brand and creative integrity.
• Comfortable buying multi-product

Our Vibes

If you associate with these, we want to hear from you:

We're scrappy and tenacious - we roll up our sleeves and make things happen.

We put the customer first - her confidence, comfort and experience guide every decision.

We think big - because product should move the needle, not just fill the calendar.

We move fast - we test, refine and double down on what works.

We value calm, considered clarity - strong opinions, loosely held.

We back each other and enjoy the journey - building something meaningful together.

Why This Role Matters

This role sits at the heart of how Six Stories product performs commercially. You will help turn our product handwriting into a profitable, well-balanced range, shaping decisions that support rapid growth across the UK and into new markets.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday
• Your birthday off
• Private healthcare for UK PAYE employees
• £500 Six Stories credit every year
• 40% staff discount

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