Meet Laurens
"I am the most proud of the assortment we have created all together and the growth we have realized as a result"
Laurens Gloudemans, Junior Buyer HouseholdHi, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Laurens Gloudemans, 26 years old and currently living in Amsterdam. I have studied in multiple countries and after my master’s degree I came to join Action as a Buying Trainee. I am working for Action for over 2,5 years now and am currently working as Junior Buyer within the Household category and responsible for the sub categories Cleaning, Household Electronics and Glass, Porcelain & Earthenware.
What is your function within Action?
As a Junior Buyer within Action you are responsible for a part of the assortment of the category you are working in. For me this is the Household category and within this category I am responsible for Cleaning, Household Electronics and Glass, Porcelain & Earthenware. The job as a Buyer is very broad within Action and contains of multiple tasks and responsibilities such as: buying all the items that are in these sub categories, maintaining stock levels, scanning the market for newness, visit fairs and suppliers, product development, packaging development, assortment planning and analyzing how the assortment performs.
Why did you decide to join Action?
I joined Action in September 2019, via a Buying Trainee program. Once I saw that Action started the traineeship I immediately thought that this could be something for me, since I always wanted to do something with international business and retail.
When I started, I had two assignments where I analyzed two sub categories and came up with a plan how to improve these sub categories. Next to that I joined the Buyer and Head of Buying when they had meetings with suppliers and learned a lot from them. After 10 months I got the opportunity to become a Junior Buyer and to further develop myself with more responsibilities because I was responsible for a sub category and could buy and decide for this category as well.
What makes the buying department within Action unique?
To me the buying department is unique in the sense that we are still very pragmatic even though we are a quite big organization. Decisions can be made quick and in the buying department you can really make an impact on the company. Furthermore, even though you are working for a company, the category you are running with your team feels like you are running it as an entrepreneur and that it is your own company.
Action is situated in Zwaagdijk, what can you tell about the office?
The office is an open space with a lot of flex working spots. It has recently been renovated so everything is quite new and nice, also the canteen is a big plus. Secondly, from Amsterdam it is only a 35-40 minutes’ drive by car which makes it a very good commute for me. In the two and a half years that I am now working for Action I think I only had a traffic jam five times.
How do you see the growth opportunities within Action?
My first goal is to become a Buyer within Action. After that I want to further develop myself in this role and then we will see what it brings. Seeing the career paths other colleagues within the buying departments have taken, I think that a lot of other opportunities within the company are possible. Certainly because the company itself is growing very fast, and with fast growth new opportunities will arise.
"The office is actually never the same, new things will pop up constantly and that makes the job unique, challenging and fun."
What category are you working in and what do you like about it?
I am working within the Household category. What I especially like about this category is that it is so diverse. For instance, in the morning my colleague and I are negotiating about a plastic storage box and in the afternoon we are buying a new tableware, and later I am giving input on how a packaging has to look like. So a day in the office is actually never the same, new things will pop up constantly and that makes the job unique, challenging and fun.
What are you most proud of within your job?
I am most proud of the assortment we have created all together and as a result of that the growth we have realized.
What should every new buyer within Action need to know?
Keep things easy and keep your eyes and ears open, then you will learn the most!