About the Role:
Be Brave. Be You. Be NEXT.
2026 applications!
Ready to start your career journey? We have roles with varied start dates. Apply today if you're looking to begin soon or if you're planning for a Summer 2026 start. Don't wait—we're hiring for both!
We are opening our applications for those looking to join us on a full time permanent basis in 2026!
Merchandising - a head for numbers but a heart for fashion!
- Do you love trends and talking to people all over the world?
- Do you thrive on transforming complex sales data and inventory figures into clear, actionable insights that drive product success?
Are you passionate about analysis, trading, managing stock, and relationship development? We are looking for amazing people who can interpret data and use this talent to work with our Buyers and Designers to build and trade trend driven product ranges for our customers.
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The scheme
You will start your 12 - 18 month training programme on one of our ‘Product’ teams - Womenswear, Menswear, Childrenswear, Home or on our Brands team (who work with a portfolio of over 750 brands).
With support from your team, you will learn the skills required to progress within our Merchandising function. Responsibility comes early and you will be looking after millions of pounds worth of stock from day one!
You will receive regular feedback from your Merchandise team who will coach and develop you throughout the scheme, supporting you in reaching your goals.
Once you are ready to take the next step you will be promoted to Assistant Merchandiser!
Day to day you will be...
- Negotiating, ordering and managing the intake of stock from suppliers all over the world
- Updating our product systems with the correct delivery dates and shipment modes
- Reviewing historical and current sales to forecast what stock we need for the future
Attend range building and selection meetings and use your knowledge to influence how future ranges look
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It's all about collaboration and great teamwork! You will be working alongside our creative Buyers and Designers using data to influence what our NEXT product ranges look like. You will learn to trade those ranges, reacting to what our customers are telling us they love, then working with our global supplier base to get the stock to our customers when they want it.
Alongside this you will be closely managing stock levels in order to maximise sales and minimise our markdown risk, potentialising profitability.
It's fast paced, exciting, challenging and very rewarding!
About You:
Are you the kind of person who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment? Do you excel at juggling a wide range of tasks while maintaining impeccable organisation? If so, you might be the perfect fit for our team. We’re looking for someone who is not just a great communicator but a relationship builder, someone who can effortlessly connect with both colleagues and clients.
Your analytical skills are sharp; you can interpret data with ease and spot opportunities that others might miss. Numbers don’t intimidate you—in fact, you have a solid understanding of percentages and how they impact our goals. In our bustling workplace, your approachable nature and team spirit make you a go-to person, fostering collaboration and positivity. You’re driven and decisive, always aiming to make a meaningful impact. If this sounds like you, then you’re exactly who we need to help take our team to the next level.
As part of your application, please include a cover letter detailing the below:
- Why should Next offer you a role as a Trainee Merchandiser?
- What skills and interests do you have that relate to the Trainee Merchandiser role?
Why are you interested in joining Next?
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At Next we embrace technology and innovation, but we want to see the real you! A generic AI response won't help you stand out from the crowd and may hinder your application.
We appreciate you might want to use Gen AI to help structure your responses, and check for grammar and spelling but the content needs to reflect your unique self, your passion and your understanding of the role.
Sponsorship
NEXT has assessed the role advertised and based on current UKVI criteria, the Merchandiser/Buyer role is not eligible for skilled worker sponsorship. If you hold a Visa that allows you to complete the training, NEXT will be unable to sponsor you at the conclusion of the training, and expects that you will have alternative Immigration status to take up the role.
At NEXT, we believe the best work happens when there are no barriers to collaboration. That’s why we are a Google-powered workspace . From your very first day, you’ll be using the full Google Workspace suite; Docs, Drive, and Meet, to stay connected and move fast.
If your previous experience is rooted in other software suites, don’t worry! We’ll point you to a digital Google toolkit the moment you join, packed with handy guides and insider tips to help you transition smoothly and hit the ground running.
Be Brave. Be You. Be NEXT.
#LI-Onsite
You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 44,000 people across the Next group. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 450 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 80 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!
