Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Products

Wholesale & Retail Buyer Job Description Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products.

Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.

• Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers.
• Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.
• Compare transportation options to determine the most energy efficient options.
• Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.
• Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
• Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.

Wholesale and Retail Buyers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Negotiation:
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Persuasion:
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Active Listening:
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking:
Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking:
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making:
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Fashion Buyer
• Wholesale Buyer
• Commodity Manager
• Retail Buyer

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 123,300 jobs in the United States for Wholesale and Retail Buyer. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Wholesale and Retail Buyer. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 13,300 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Wholesale & Retail Buyer are Washington, Colorado, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Wholesale and Retail Buyers may use on a daily basis:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Power Point
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Access
• Email software
• Word processing software
• Microsoft Windows
• Microsoft Project
• Spreadsheet software
• Microsoft Share Point
• Facebook
• Oracle People Soft
• Scheduling software
• Microsoft Internet Explorer
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software

What education or degrees do I need to become a Wholesale and Retail Buyer?

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