Location: Norwich, Norfolk
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £27,000-£30,000 Depending on experience
Company: Blakely Clothing
About Blakely
Blakely is a fast-growing UK lifestyle fashion brand founded in Norfolk in 2012.
What started as a local, founder-led brand has grown into one of the UK’s standout fashion growth stories. Blakely has scaled significantly in recent years, reaching record turnover of £84.1m for the financial year ending March 2026, following continued growth across the UK and international markets.
As the business continues to expand, including further growth across Europe and future plans for markets such as the US and Australia, our product function is becoming even more central to the next stage of Blakely’s journey.
We create timeless, high-quality clothing designed for everyday wear, with a focus on quality, fit, commercial relevance and long-term brand value.
The Role
We are looking for a commercially minded Assistant Buyer to support the development, delivery and performance of Blakely’s product ranges.
This is a hands-on role sitting close to buying, product development, suppliers, merchandising and ecommerce. You will help ensure the product journey runs smoothly from trend research and range planning through to supplier communication, purchase order management, sample tracking, product analysis and launch readiness.
As Blakely continues to scale, this role offers the opportunity to gain real exposure across product decision-making, supplier management, commercial analysis and range development within a fast-growing fashion brand.
We are open to different levels of experience. You may already be working in buying, product development, merchandising, supplier management or fashion retail — or you may be ready to step into a broader product-focused role with more ownership.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the buying and product development process across new and existing ranges
- Create, manage and maintain purchase orders and product information accurately
- Organise purchase order administration, including barcodes, order sheets, cost price trackers and product line lists
- Manage and update Work in Progress (WIP) trackers, ensuring key dates, actions and responsibilities are clear
- Chase suppliers and internal teams when timelines, samples, approvals or orders are behind schedule
- Manage sample tracking with suppliers, including requesting, reviewing and organising samples
- Communicate with suppliers to support product development, pricing, timelines, quantities and delivery requirements
- Support negotiation around pricing, lead times, minimum order quantities and product details
- Carry out competitor research across product, pricing, launches, range structure and market trends
- Research emerging trends, customer preferences and product opportunities
- Support product analysis, using sales, stock and performance data to identify risks, opportunities and potential range improvements
- Work closely with buying, merchandising, ecommerce, logistics and marketing teams to support successful product launches
- Ensure product information is accurate, complete and delivered on time
- Help improve processes across the product development and buying cycle
- Maintain a strong understanding of the Blakely customer, brand direction and product handwriting
About You
We are looking for someone who combines strong organisation with commercial instinct.
You will be detail-focused, proactive and confident communicating with suppliers and internal teams. You will enjoy working at pace, keeping multiple workstreams moving and using data, trends and market insight to support better product decisions.
You should have a genuine interest in fashion, product, trading, customer behaviour and how commercially successful ranges are built.
This role would suit someone who wants to be close to the product, close to the numbers and part of a business that is scaling quickly.
Skills & Experience
- Experience in buying, merchandising, product development, supplier management, fashion, retail or ecommerce would be beneficial
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail
- Comfortable managing Work in Progress (WIP) documents, product data, purchase orders and range information
- Good Excel or Google Sheets skills
- Confident communicator, able to chase updates and keep stakeholders informed
- Commercially aware, with an interest in product performance, trends and competitor activity
- Comfortable working with suppliers and internal teams
- Able to manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach
- Genuine interest in fashion, lifestyle brands and product development
- Experience with purchase orders, samples, supplier communication or range administration would be advantageous
- Experience managing barcodes, order sheets, cost price trackers or product line lists would be useful
- Negotiation experience would be beneficial
- Experience analysing sales, stock, product or competitor data would be useful
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role will include:
- Product, order and Work in Progress (WIP) information being accurate, clear and well maintained
- Purchase order admin, barcodes, order sheets, cost price trackers and product line lists being organised and up to date
- Supplier communication being proactive and commercially effective
- Samples, approvals and key milestones staying on track
- Competitor, trend and product performance insight being used to support better product decisions
- Strong support across buying, product development and launch planning
- Increased ownership as the role develops and the business continues to grow
What We Offer
- A role within one of the UK’s fastest-growing lifestyle fashion brands
- Exposure to buying, product development, supplier management, merchandising and ecommerce trading
- Opportunity to contribute to product decisions during an exciting period of growth
- A fast-paced, ambitious and collaborative team culture
- Staff discount on Blakely products
- Salary dependent on experience
Pay: £27,000.00-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company events
- Employee discount
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Norwich, Norfolk: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
