Location: Stockton on Tees Head Office / Hybrid (with regular UK and overseas sourcing travel)
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
At Barker and Stonehouse, we believe homeware is what transforms furniture into a complete home. Accessories, lighting and rugs are not add ons; they are the layers that enhance our furniture collections, creating mood, balance and story.
We’re looking for a Homeware Buyer to take ownership of these categories and develop exclusive, design led collections that complement our furniture ranges and elevate how our interiors are experienced in store and online. Sourced directly from manufacturers and makers, these collections will play a key role in bringing our room sets to life.
The Role
As Homeware Buyer, you will be responsible for sourcing, developing and delivering cohesive ranges of accessories, lighting and rugs that elevate our furniture offer. You’ll research trends, travel for sourcing, work closely with manufacturers on design and finish, and curate collections that feel considered, distinctive and uniquely ours. From initial concept through to in season trading, you’ll own your categories end to end.
Key Responsibilities
- Source and develop exclusive homeware collections directly from manufacturers
- Travel to factories, trade shows and sourcing markets to identify new materials, finishes and production partners
- Build collections that complement furniture ranges and create clear interior stories
- Brief manufacturers clearly on design direction, materials, finishes, scale and quality
- Negotiate costs, MOQs, lead times and terms to deliver strong commercial performance
- Build long term, collaborative supplier relationships
- Own category strategy, range planning, forecasting and margin delivery
- Analyse sales performance and evolve collections seasonally
- Work closely with Merchandising, Visual, Marketing and Stores to ensure collections are brought to life in store and online
- Ensure all products meet quality, compliance and ethical sourcing standards
About You
- Proven experience as a Buyer within homeware, interiors or lifestyle categories
- Demonstrable experience sourcing directly from manufacturers, not simply selecting from existing catalogues
- A strong eye for design, proportion, materials and finish
- Passion for interiors and how accessories complete a room
- Commercially confident with strong negotiation and numerical skills
- Comfortable travelling internationally for sourcing
- Organised, creative and able to manage multiple collections simultaneously
Why Join Barker and Stonehouse?
This role offers a rare level of ownership within homeware buying, with a clear strategic purpose: enhancing and elevating our furniture collections through considered accessories, lighting and rugs. You’ll lead these categories as an integral part of our interiors, shaping exclusive ranges that complete room sets and bring our furniture to life in store and online.
As a family-owned business, Barker and Stonehouse takes a long-term approach to product, relationships and design. You’ll have the autonomy to use your judgement, work closely with senior stakeholders, and collaborate across Merchandising, Visual and Marketing to ensure homeware is fully aligned with furniture ranges and interior stories.
With hands on sourcing travel, direct manufacturer relationships and clear visibility of your work, this role is ideal for a buyer ready to take broader responsibility and influence how our collections are experienced by customers.
This role is supported by a competitive salary, hybrid working and a benefits package aligned to the role and experience.
Barker and Stonehouse are the UKs largest family-run furniture retailer with a strong brand and design focus. We have 12 retail stores, online, 3 concessions and work with third-party marketplaces, such as Next and Marks and Spencer. We are celebrating our 80th anniversary this year.
How to Apply : This is an opportunity for you to develop a career working for the most prestigious and established furniture retailer brand in the North East of England. If you are interested in this position, please email your CV to Linda Purdie, Head of HR, at lpurdie@barkerandstonehouse.co.uk