Fashion Category Assistant jobs in London

Allocator / Buying Administration Assistant

Vanilla Retail Group | East London
Full-time
Salary: £25,000 - £27,000 per annum

About Vanilla Retail Group

Vanilla Retail Group is a growing UK women's fashion retailer behind the Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla brands.

We operate a network of standalone stores, e-commerce channels and more than 400 concessions across leading UK and Ireland retail partners, including New Look and Matalan and independent retailers.

We are looking for an organised, analytical and commercially minded Allocator / Buying Administration Assistant to join our Head Office Buying & Merchandising team.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to build a career in fashion allocation, merchandising and buying, while gaining hands-on experience across a large and varied retail estate.

The Role

Reporting to the Buying Manager, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day allocation and replenishment of stock across our concession estate.

You will work closely with the Buying & Merchandising team and liaise daily with our area management team, Head of Operations, Distribution Centre and warehouse teams to ensure the right products are available in the right locations at the right time.

The role is highly commercial and data-driven. You will use sales performance, stock levels, product availability and store requirements to make allocation and replenishment decisions that maximise sales and sell-through.

Key Responsibilities

Stock Allocation & Replenishment

• Take responsibility for allocating new stock across our concession estate.
• Analyse sales performance, stock levels, product availability and store requirements when making allocation decisions.
• Ensure new products are allocated and delivered in line with agreed launch dates.
• Monitor stock availability and identify replenishment requirements.
• Review store-level sales and stock performance to identify opportunities to improve availability and sell-through.
• Recommend and coordinate stock transfers where appropriate.
• Monitor stock levels across locations and highlight potential overstock or stock shortages.
• Work closely with the warehouse and Distribution Centre teams to ensure allocations are processed accurately and efficiently.

Trading & Analysis

• Review weekly sales and stock reports and identify key trading opportunities.
• Analyse sales, sell-through, stock cover and product performance.
• Identify best-selling and slow-selling products and communicate key findings to the Buying & Merchandising team.
• Support weekly trading reviews with relevant allocation and stock analysis.
• Monitor product performance by store, concession, product and brand.
• Develop a strong understanding of commercial retail KPIs and how they influence stock decisions.

Communication & Operations

• Liaise daily with area managers regarding store requirements, stock availability, deliveries and allocation issues.
• Work closely with the Head of Operations to resolve stock and operational issues.
• Coordinate with warehouse and Distribution Centre teams to ensure stock is picked, processed and dispatched correctly.
• Communicate allocation and replenishment requirements clearly and efficiently.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding purchase orders, deliveries and outstanding information.
• Escalate stock, delivery or allocation issues promptly to the appropriate team.

Buying Administration

• Raise and maintain supplier purchase orders.
• Monitor supplier deliveries against agreed dates.
• Maintain accurate product, cost and stock information across internal systems.
• Coordinate product samples for e-commerce photography, buying meetings, fit sessions and supplier reviews.
• Assist with range reviews and seasonal planning.
• Support the Buying & Merchandising team with administrative and analytical tasks as required.

About You

We are looking for someone who is organised, analytical and commercially minded, with a genuine interest in fashion and retail.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous experience in retail, allocation, merchandising, buying administration or a similar analytical role.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills.
• Good Excel skills and confidence working with spreadsheets and large amounts of data.
• Experience using formulas, filters and PivotTables would be advantageous.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• The ability to prioritise multiple tasks and work effectively to deadlines.
• Strong communication skills and confidence liaising with different teams.
• A proactive approach to identifying problems and finding solutions.
• A genuine interest in fashion, products and retail trends.
• The ability to work collaboratively with Buying, Merchandising, Operations, area managers and warehouse teams.
• A positive attitude and a willingness to learn and develop.

Previous fashion allocation experience is advantageous, but we are also interested in candidates with strong analytical and organisational skills who are looking to develop their career within fashion merchandising.

What You Will Learn

This role provides hands-on experience across the full stock journey:

Buying → Stock Receipt → Allocation → Distribution → Store Trading → Replenishment → Sell-through

You will develop a strong understanding of how product, stock and sales decisions directly influence commercial performance across a large retail estate.

Career Development

This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop a long-term career within fashion merchandising.

As your experience and commercial understanding develop, there is potential to progress into roles such as:

Allocator → Assistant Merchandiser → Merchandiser

Why Join Vanilla Retail Group?

• Join a growing UK women's fashion retailer with more than 400 concession locations.
• Gain hands-on experience across allocation, merchandising, buying and retail operations.
• Work across established Blue Vanilla and Pink Vanilla brands.
• Work closely with Buying, Merchandising, Operations, area managers and Distribution Centre teams.
• Develop valuable commercial and analytical skills.
• Work within a collaborative Head Office environment.
• Excellent opportunities for career progression and development..
• Company events.
• Staff discount.
• Free on-site parking.

Job Type

Full-time

Work Location

East London – In person

Pay: £25,000.00-£27,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Store discount

Work Location: In person