Since its launch in 1993 with a collection of six essential handbags, Kate Spade New York has always been colorful, bold, and optimistic. Today, it is a global lifestyle brand that designs extraordinary things for the everyday, delivering seasonal collections of handbags, ready-to-wear, jewelry, footwear, home décor, and more. Known for its rich heritage and unique brand DNA, Kate Spade New York offers a distinctive point of view and celebrates communities of women around the globe who live their perfectly imperfect lifestyles.
Kate Spade New York is part of the Tapestry portfolio – a global house of brands committed to stretching what’s possible.
A member of the Tapestry family, we are part of a global house of brands that has unwavering optimism and is committed to being innovative and wholly inclusive. Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.
Primary Purpose: The Assistant Buyer supports the execution of regional product investment strategies and helps to drive in-season sales and margin performance for the Kate Spade New York Europe business across Retail, eCommerce, and Wholesale channels.
The successful individual will leverage their proficiency in Buying/Planning to:
Own the strategic and operational execution of product investment for Ready to Wear, Jewellery, Footwear, Tech and licensee departments across Retail, eCommerce and Wholesale channels. Driving in-season performance against sales and margin targets for Retail and Ecomm
Support store and eCommerce product investment to optimise consumer engagement across channels, ensuring a consistent product message across all touchpoints while reflecting regional market needs, trading landscapes, and brand directives
Partner with the eCommerce team to identify assortment opportunities and trading initiatives that support AOP/SMI delivery, ensuring proposed activities drive eCommerce trade for the relevant product categories
Contribute to indirect product assortments and share assortments by SKU and priority to deliver a synergy between direct and indirect channels
Support product selection and SKU investment within the OTB to achieve financial targets, while identifying business risks and opportunities
Support seasonal buy reviews, hindsight meetings, and management of the seasonal milestone calendar
Attend weekly team WSRM, delivering a financial overview with clear strategic actions and presenting to the wider Buying team
Drive sales and margin performance by maximising in-season opportunities, identifying future inventory risks and opportunities, and proposing trading activities to the Senior Buying Manager alongside the seasonal promotional calendar to support weekly trade in line with AOP/SMI targets
Analyse product performance, customer feedback, consumer trends, competitor activity, and local market insights to inform Global Merchandising. Identify regional opportunities and support commercial decision-making
Partner with the Inventory Planner to review on-hand inventory, drive activities that support Global WOH and turn targets, and propose clear actions with timelines. Meet monthly and annually to review AOP performance, assess sales and market trend shifts, and recommend buy adjustments to ensure AOP targets are met
Coordinate with the Wholesale Sales team to contribute to go-to-market assets
Work closely with the Allocation team to support category allocations, considering floorset launch dates and peak trading periods
Build and maintain close relationships with key partners in region and globally to support the execution of assortments
Conduct ad-hoc analysis and scenario planning to support trading decisions and future business needs.
Provide admin support for pricing amendments and reports
The accomplished individual will possess:
Proven buying or planning experience within Full Price or Outlet channels
Understanding of the Wholesale buying model
Strong numeracy, analytical skills, and financial acumen, with a clear understanding of key financial drivers to maximise business performance
Working knowledge of Cora or SAP and advanced Excel skills
Knowledge of the fashion, accessories, or luxury goods market
Experience working with a global company or brand, with exposure to European markets
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build regional and global partnerships and work effectively with stakeholders at all levels
Collaborative, highly organised, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively
Data-driven, with strong problem-solving and continuous improvement skills
Ability to apply market and industry insights to shape strategy, maintain competitiveness, and keep the customer at the centre of decision-making
Please be advised that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position. As such, you will only be considered if you already possess the right to work in the UK.
What Tapestry can offer you:
Hybrid working (Tuesday - Thursday working from the office, Monday and Friday working remotely)
Option to finish early on a Friday (Flex Fridays)
1 paid volunteering day per year and opportunities to volunteer with global projects
Learning & development opportunities
Internal mobility & career progression
Regular social events - seasonal & cultural
Equity Inclusion & Diversity initiatives which include employee resource groups & regional inclusion council
Other benefits include:
25 days holiday in addition to bank holidays
Annual Incentive Plan (company performance bonus)
Multi brand discount up to 50% off – Coach and Kate Spade.
Private healthcare with health assessment (Bupa)
Bupa rewards - Financial wellbeing support and wellness discounts
Private dental cover
Free 24/7 support for family building, fertility and menopause with Maven
Eyecare vouchers
Employee assistance programme
Enhanced employer pension contribution
Gym discount
Interest free season ticket loan
Cycle to work scheme
At Tapestry, we are committed to building a diverse & inclusive workforce. We know that having a wide range of perspectives and experiences makes us more innovative and brings us closer to our consumers. If you are interested in this role but do not believe you meet all the set criteria, that’s ok. We are happy to work with individuals who have the drive, passion, agility and willingness to learn. So, take a chance and apply; you may just be who we are looking for. We would be delighted to hear from you.
Our Competencies for All Employees
Courage: Doesn’t hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and “actionable” positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn’t upset when things are up in the air; doesn’t have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.
Our Competencies for All People Managers
Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
Developing Direct Reports and Others: Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each person's career goals; constructs compelling development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.
Building Effective Teams: Blends people into teams when needed; creates strong morale and spirit in their team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; defines success in terms of the whole team; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.
Tapestry is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant’s or employee’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law.
Visit Tapestry, Inc.
