Nigel Downes has over 30 years of experience in retail and wholesale roles across various sectors. He has held buying and management positions with responsibility for categories such as confectionery, grocery, alcohol, and fresh produce. His skills include account management, budgeting, business development, and relationship building. Currently unemployed, he is seeking a new opportunity that utilizes his extensive experience in purchasing, sales, and operations management.

1. Curriculum Vitae
1
Nigel Christopher Downes
80 Chatsworth Crescent, Rushall, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1RU
Telephone: 01922 422018 Mobile: 07938 851728
E-mail: ndownes@orange.net
Skills and Experience
 A highly motivated business manager with multi sector experience within the UK
independent and national retail and wholesale business.
 Operational experience in food buying, sales management and account management roles.
 Convenience buyer for core confectionery (Mars, Mondelez, Nestle and Wrigley) in discount
channel for leading independent multi-site (80+ stores) CTN retailer; additional
responsibilities for grocery (food & non-food), beers, wines & spirits and impulse ice cream.
 Successful management of diverse account relationships for central distribution, delivered
wholesale and third party fresh & frozen direct to store suppliers.
 Experience as buyer for impulse ranges for the largest independent alcohol wholesaler to
the Nisa-Today’s group within new wholesale cash & carry development.
 Buying experience with responsibility for local, fresh and or organic produce for dairy,
delicatessen/ charcuterie, wines & spirit categories for an independent food hall retailer.
 Experienced retail buyer / merchandiser for confectionery and ambient grocery at national
level for House of Fraser.
 Blue chip experience in sales and sales management in food, fashion & hard home product
categories.
 Innovative in identifying and researching new business opportunities and maximising
existing business plans and objectives from sales or purchasing perspective.
 Sound financial acumen with a proven ability to plan, organise and control projects and
budgets within defined time scales.
 Confident communicator with first rate written, presentational and negotiation skills; adept
from customer faced sales environments to board level presentations.
 Strong and supportive team player who can function effectively and efficiently as an
individual.
 Excellent office skills using Microsoft based systems; Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Rippleglen Limited May 2011 – May 2016 (Redundancy)
Convenience Buyer
 Buying and account management responsibility for core blue chip confectionery offer within
business for Mars, Mondelez, Nestle and Wrigley; including promotional implementation and control,
supplier funding, ORD terms and achievement of budgeted targets.
 Management of product offer across core confectionery, convenience grocery (including beers,
wines and spirits), non-food product ranges and seasonal activity for impulse ice cream; either via
central distribution and or delivered wholesale suppliers.
 Consultative responsibility for control of business unit supplied under symbol fascia; liaison between
business unit and Nisa contacts for transition from own bought to symbol supply.
 Regular store visits out to business estate to ensure branch compliance to promotional plans and
implementation to agreed standards; providing feedback and training to business managers and
staff.
 Accountability for sourcing and purchasing decisions for capex equipment in store development
initiatives as required by the business across the store estate in support of product responsibilities.
 Management, collation and reporting for compliance on recent “bag tax” legislation for Welsh and
English stores.

2. Curriculum Vitae
2
Key Achievements
 Maintenance of promotional income to business despite a reduction of store estate of 20%
 Creating and management of `solution for business requirement to reduce warehouse stock holding
whilst maintaining range availability to convenience stores.
 Managing successful transitions from symbol supply (Spar) to own bought, to symbol (Nisa).
 Presentation at ACS (Association of Convenience Stores) training forum to supplier account
managers in building relationships with buyers within business.
Makro Wholesale Cash & Carry June 2010 – May 2011 (Moved to Rippleglen Ltd.)
Customer Consultant
 Source, develop, and maintain a portfolio of 150 professional caterer and on-trade customers via a
pro-active approach to maximising customer relationships.
 Assist and advise customers in their business development to maximise their sales potential to the
mutual benefit of customer and Makro.
Key Achievements
 Development of ongoing stream of new customers into managed portfolio.
 Maintenance of existing portfolio customers; to convince them to increase turnover, change habits
in purchasing, providing positive management to customer accounts whether in growth, stasis or
decline.
 Provision of customer consultancy drawing on over 20+ years of customer service experience.
C.J.Petrow International Ltd February 2009 – March 2010 (Laid off)
Key Account Manager
 Reporting to Head of Food Division with responsibilities for sales development and marketing of
new retail / foodservice products with special reference to organic health snack bars.
 New customer account development across C.J.Petrow range of products from bulk food
commodities to finished foodservice and retail products.
 Management, maintenance and development of existing customer accounts.
Key Achievements
 Successfully opened new bulk commodity trading accounts with food wholesalers and
manufacturers. Also development of initial accounts for new foodservice product ranges.
 Created product costings and developments for foreign imported herb and spice range sourced
from Turkey and India.
European Food Brokers Ltd (2 Ticks Cash & Carry) August 2008 – December 2008 (Laid off)
Wholesale Buyer Impulse Products – New Start Up
 Head Office function reporting to Buying Director with responsibility for new impulse product range
for European Food Brokers Cash & Carry’s based in Birmingham and Gateshead.
 Responsible for maintenance & development of contacts and communication channels with
suppliers; from field personnel and Head Office based functions of manufacturers to sales agent
and grey market representatives.
 Control and maintenance of central Nisa – Today’s promotional calendar; supplemented with locally
agreed activities; reviewing and responding to competitor activity in local trading areas.
 Development and implementation and delivery of training and communications packages for Head
Office and trading locations.

3. Curriculum Vitae
3
Key Achievements
 Development of new impulse stock ranges; including management and control of range selection,
ordering and merchandising prior to launch November 2008 for two trading locations.
 Collation and control of product information from suppliers into current stock management system
and future system developments.
 Management of pre-launch and on-going promotional activity through effective management of
supplier relationships.
Towercrest Enterprises Ltd (t/a The Oak Hockley Heath) July 2007 – November 2007 (Laid off)
Retail Manager / Buyer – New Start Up (Ceased trading Feb 2008)
 Responsible for the 4500 sq.ft retail element of 9000 sq.ft. Oak development at Hockley Heath
featuring a full line food hall including local, organic and gourmet foods, beers, wines & spirits.
 Liaison with local food producers and supporters; i.e. Heart of England Fine Foods to promote and
develop market and sales impact of local food ranges.
Key Achievements
 Re open September 2007 following an 11 week turn around; having fully revamped the EPOS
system, product range and recruited a new retail team to deliver quality customer service and
product in a new and exciting retail environment.
 Creation of balanced product range featuring national signpost brands, allied to local, organic, fresh
and gourmet products to give a unique selling point to the Foodhall.
House of Fraser Head Office January 2003 – March 2007 (Redundancy)
Assistant Buyer Grocery World of Food
 Responsible for the seasonal grocery range planning and buying for sixty-one House of Fraser
stores; including the specialist foodhalls & wine stores.
 Managed seasonal budgets and ensured margins and sales targets were met.
 Ordered and allocated seasonal and core product to stores and monitored sales and managed
stocks and product performance.
 Responsible for end of seasonal (Christmas & Easter) product performance reviews. In addition
produced reporting review on year round product performance.
 Catalogued and maintained the core grocery & confectionery food offer across the HOF estate for
branded and own label options.
 Planned major sales and promotion activities from planning to implementation.
 Produced Head Office to store communications for seasonal sales, promotional activity and product
information for new product launches.
 Maintenance of excellent business relationships; both local and national, for supplier business
contacts.
Key Achievements
 Key driver in conversion of HOF retail food to EPOS operation and computerised stock management
 Business unit super user of merchandise management system and Management Information
System during development and early trading of World of Food.
 Increased turnover on seasonal buying, increased sell through by 10 percent on LFL performance of
previous buying team by focussing on sales and product.
 Continued improvement in KPI’s for ongoing seasonal buys; increasing turnover, margin
improvement, sell through performance, reduction in mark-down costs.
 Successful integration of independently bought HOF food operations into centrally bought function
for HOF estate and of HOF business acquisitions (Jenner’s & Beatties groups).

4. Curriculum Vitae
4
House of Fraser Flagship Store Birmingham 1984 – 2003
 2001 – 2003: Sales Manager/ Buyer Foodhall, Confectionery and Wines & Spirits.
 1997 – 2001: Sales Manager positions with Menswear, Homewares/ Electricals & Food Hall.
 1988 – 1997: Department Manager positions with Confectionery (Buyer), Major Electricals,
Men’s Casualwear, Major & Small Electricals and Men’s Casualwear & Luggage.
 1986 – 1988: Junior management positions with Confectionery and as a management trainee.
 1984 – 1986: Salesman Major & Small Electricals.
Key Achievements
 Promotion from salesman to department manager within 18 months.
 1992-96 Responsible for largest sales department under control of an individual manager within
House of Fraser with a turnover of £11.5 million with 75 direct reports.
 Project management of mini refit of old Foodhall on time and on budget; including structural work,
new fixturing and incorporating changes to alcohol license provisions for department.
Education
Aldridge School 1973 – 1981
Tynings Lane, Aldridge, West Midlands WS9 0BG
6 O Levels – Including English Language at grade C or above; 2 CSE’s – Including Mathematics grade 1
1 A/S Level – General Paper
2 A Levels – Biology (E) & General Paper (C)
Leicester Polytechnic 1981 – 1982.
NEBBS Certificate Retail / Supervisory Management.
National Licensees Certificate (off-sales).
Outside Interests
Live music & theatre, digital photography, walking, cryptic crosswords, news & current affairs, Sudoku.