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On the hunt for a graduate scheme that’s challenging, exciting – and as unique as you are? Our Buying & Merchandising Graduate Scheme could be just what you’re after.
We’re the UK’s number one homeware retailer, turning houses into homes across the UK since 1979. Today, with over 170 superstores across the country and a successful online operation – dunelm.com – we’re an industry-leading, instantly recognisable brand and offer over 50,000 products across a broad range of categories.
How did we get this far? By understanding our customers and constantly innovating and improving the way we do things. And we’re nowhere near finished. That’s why we’re on the lookout for fearless go-getters, ambitious self-starters and creative innovators who’ve got the passion and determination to take charge of their careers – and shape the future of our industry. That’s where you come in.
What to expect
The Buying & Merchandising team at Dunelm are the trend hunters of the business – we have our fingers firmly on the pulse of what’s hot and what’s not. We make sure stock flows smoothly through the business and are responsible for selecting the products that appear both in-store and online.
Join our team as a graduate and you’ll dive into the future-focused world of Buying & Merchandising with a structured rotational scheme that gives you hands-on experience to build your knowledge about our customers and the way we do business.
Over two years you’ll
- Help the Management team in a Dunelm store, where you'll spend the first few months understanding our customers’ expectations and leading your team to deliver brilliant customer service
- Spend time in our Buying and Merchandising departments, getting to know our product life cycle and understanding how we prioritise our customers
- Work with buyers to source, develop and grow product ranges
- Negotiate prices to ensure we hit our sales and margin budget
- Be part of developing new ranges, taking into account price, quality and lead times
- Dive into leadership workshops and development programmes that’ll shape you into a future leader
- Get to know a member of the Executive Board of Directors with quarterly catch-ups
- Get plenty of exposure by attending four Executive Board meetings where you’ll present findings from the projects you’ve worked on and come up with amazing ideas for continuous improvement
What you’ll bring
- A genuine passion for building your career in a Retail Head Office Commercial function
- Strong analytical thinking and a knack for solving challenging problems
- The resilience and ambition to drive your own development and the eagerness to constantly find new learning opportunities
- Relevant work experience, strong commercial awareness and a good understanding of general retail principles
- Strong communication skills, whether you’re on the phone, writing emails or taking part in video calls
- Knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint
- A minimum 2:1 degree or equivalent in any relevant subject
Our benefits
Our range of benefits are just as unique as our graduate schemes and include a 15% colleague discount on all our products.
Like what you’ve read? Then do your research, update your CV and, once you’re ready, hit the button.
