Lead Buyer - Housewares

JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights

Lead Buyer: Housewares at The Warehouse Group sets the buying strategy for Kitchen & Dining, Home Décor and Laundry in the Home division, blending category leadership with people management for a small team. You’ll drive trend-led ranges, pricing and supplier partnerships, guided by customer insights and data to maximise sales, margins and stock efficiency while ensuring sustainable sourcing. Requirements: 8+ years senior buying, ideally in Housewares or related categories, plus big box retailer exposure, a customer-centric, data-driven mindset, and proven leadership. Apply with measurable impact, supplier collaboration examples, and evidence you thrive in a fast paced onsite Auckland environment.

Company Description

Starting with a single red ‘shed’ over 40 years ago, today The Warehouse Group is home to some of Aotearoa’s iconic brands. The Warehouse is where Kiwis turn for trusted value and our Home division is where we aim to make their home & spaces better, every day. 

We’re looking for an experienced Lead Buyer – Housewares for our Home division. This is your chance to shape the future of how our category, products and brands show up for our customers and influence products found in homes across Aotearoa - driving performance, creativity, and value at scale. 

Job Description

As Lead Buyer - Housewares, this is a key role in an important division for our business, blending hands-on category buying with people leadership (circa 2 - 3 direct reports). You’ll drive the Housewares buying strategy, delivering compelling, trend-led ranges that meet the needs of our customer base, while developing talent and capability within your team. 

Bring together commercial acumen, customer insight, and data-driven decision-making to drive trend, influence product selection, pricing, and supplier partnerships, ensuring we consistently deliver quality and value at the right price. 

• Range Development: Lead buying for Housewares (Kitchen & Dining, Home Décor, and Laundry categories), curating range and collections that are driving trend, seasonal demands, meeting customers wants and financial targets. 
• Category Strategy: Shape and execute the buying strategy, ensuring alignment with broader business goals and customer expectations. 
• Trading & Commercial Performance: Maximise sales, margin, and stock efficiencies by responding to market trends and trading conditions with agility. 
• Supplier Management: Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, negotiating competitive terms, and securing the best product offerings. 
• Customer & Market Insights: Use data, trend analysis, and customer feedback to inform buying decisions and stay ahead of competitors. 
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering collaboration and innovation. 
• Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing: Work towards responsible and sustainable sourcing strategies, ensuring compliance with ethical standards and business sustainability goals. 

Qualifications

What we’re looking for? 

• Significant buying experience and proven track record (8+ years/lead or senior level), ideally within Housewares, Home, or a related category 
• Genuinely passionate about Home products/categories – you’ll have your finger on the pulse and always geared for better 
• Big box retailer experience – bring in and share the best of your career learnings!  
• Strong customer centric, data-driven, commercial mindset and financial acumen - ability to balance creativity and financial performance. 
• Confident people leader and operator with genuine passion for developing/mentoring talent and fostering a positive culture 
• Comfortable and confidence operating in a fast-paced retail environment. 

Additional Information

Come work with us as we look to build exceptional retail brands that customers love and our teams take pride in! 

We offer a range of benefits that work for you and your career which include: 

• Team member discounts across our brands 
• Paid birthday day off for permanent team members 
• Free parking, onsite gym and café at our Northcote support office 
• We value collaboration & flexibility – embracing hybrid working, up to 2 days working from home 
• 26 weeks paid parental leave for permanent team members 
• A range of wellbeing support and development opportunities 

If you’re passionate about Home, love building ranges customers can’t live without, and thrive on leading people and performance, we’d love to hear from you!