Retail buyer

Retail buyer job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Buying is an important and responsible role within a company as profitability can be affected by how successfully the work is undertaken. The buyer can enhance profits by acquiring suitable goods at a competitive price through sensible planning and careful purchasing.

Typical responsibilities include:

• report writing
• financial administration
• identifying and meeting suitable suppliers/manufacturers
• negotiating prices, quantities and delivery time-scales
• managing junior staff
• liaising with other employees about sales performances.

Promotional prospects are excellent - progression can be into senior buying roles or into related areas of employment such as marketing, store management or merchandising.

Typical employers of retail buyers

Retail buyers are employed by national, regional and mail-order retailers. Buyers normally work within the head office of a company, so the majority of vacancies arise in London and other major cities.

Vacancies are advertised in careers services, national newspapers and specialist publications such as TARGETjobs Retail, Retail Week, The Grocer, Draper's Record (for fashion buying vacancies), Retail Therapy and The Appointment.

Qualifications and training required

A qualification in a relevant subject such as business, marketing, mathematics, statistics or management can be helpful. A degree in fashion or textiles is normally necessary for entry into fashion buying. Work experience can be gained via any retail work including vacation placements, sales assistant jobs or graduate store management training programmes.

Key skills for retail buyers

• commercial awareness
• confidence
• ability to cope with pressure
• good team working skills
• interpersonal skills
• effective organisational skills.