Job Description

Company Description

The A&F Co. Middle East Buyer will work as part of our EMEA team to grow the business through the development of a localized product strategy for the Hollister brand for the Middle East region. This role will drive assortment architecture and product selection, partnering with the EMEA Buying and Planning teams to ensure our global brand is regionally relevant. Though the role will be primarily focused on our UAE and Kuwait omnichannel business, the Middle East Buyer is expected to partner closely with our regional Franchise partners in KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman to build product synergies across the Middle East region. Success in this role will be highly dependent upon building and maintaining exceptional relationships with internal and external teams across the London and Dubai office. The role requires quarterly travel to Dubai for key business milestones and customer, competitor and stores deep dives.


This role is based in London and reports to the Senior Director of Buying for Hollister.

What Will You Be Doing?

Leverage regional market knowledge to provide sales forecast guidance and drive forecast accuracy Review store forecasts and recommend actions to maximize key traffic peaks and holidays while mitigating forecast volatility Optimize inventory across Middle East stores to achieve brand, gender, and department stock goals Collaborate with EMEA buying and planning teams to maximize inventory efficiency between regions and channels Develop and execute region-specific inventory liquidation plans Translate business hindsight's into future season forecast and inventory strategies Interface with regional stores, supply chain, logistics, and trade partners Visit store locations quarterly and provide feedback to EMEA team members on in-store experience opportunities Execute regionally specific item and size strategies from pre-season to in-season Provide guidance on new store set up inclusive of third-party execution

What Do You Need To Bring?

Drive Middle East region growth by creating and executing a regional product assortment architecture for the Hollister brand. Leverage market knowledge to distort product assortment set cadence, breadth, and depth to local consumer preference and align with competitive landscape Ensure assortments are consistent with global brand strategy and identity Develop region-exclusive capsules as necessary in partnership with Global merchants and design Connect product assortment strategies with marketing priorities and campaigns Be the expert in current selling and historical selling knowledge for the region, translating in-season analyses to decisions and actions to maximize sales and margin Leverage financial and strategic capabilities by influencing promotions, pricing, visual merchandising, and inventory flow Intimately understand regional shopping behavior, brand perceptions, and product preferences and interests by regularly patterning the market and visiting our stores Execute against key milestones and seasonal processes, including: detailed seasonal hindsight and strategic line review process at the department and style level to inform future strategy and identify line list needs Present weekly selling updates as part of a regular Monday Business Review process, evaluating performance and identifying strengths, opportunities and recommended actions Make seasonal assortment decisions in Assortment Reviews quarterly, contributing ideas, identifying top items, and preparing for seasonal buys Leverage monthly Chase, Buy, Cut Reviews to fine-tune assortments virtually and respond to trend Participate in monthly MPC meetings to reconcile current performance with future merchandise plans, identifying upside and downside strategies

Our Company

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a global, digitally led omnichannel specialty retailer of apparel and accessories catering to kids through millennials with assortments curated for their specific lifestyle needs.


The company operates a family of brands, including Abercrombie & Fitch, YPB, abercrombie kids, Hollister and Gilly Hicks, each sharing a commitment to offer products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that support global customers on their journey to being and becoming who they are. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates over 750 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the e-commerce sites abercrombie.com, abercrombiekids.com, and hollisterco.com.


At Abercrombie & Fitch Co., we lead with purpose and always put our people first. We're proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.

Benefits & Perks

As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you'll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F Co. is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive benefits that align with our company's culture and values, but most importantly - with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:

Incentive bonus program Annual companywide review process Medical, dental and vision insurance Life and disability insurance Associate assistance program Paid parental and adoption leave Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace Paid time off and one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are "work from anywhere" days for most roles and six work from anywhere weeks per year) Seven associate wellness half days per year Merchandise discount on all of our brands Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!

Additional Information

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Additional Information

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER