Retail Buyer job description
A Retail Buyer is a professional who plans, manages, and selects goods to be sold in retail stores to ensure their own company’s competitiveness with other retailers. They continually look for new products and review existing ones to ensure they’re up-to-date on current trends.
This Retail Buyer job description template is optimized for posting on online job boards or careers pages and easy to customize for your company.
Retail Buyer responsibilities include:
- Identifying customer preferences and forecasting consumer trends
- Evaluating supplier options according to prices, quality etc. and determine the best choices
- Discovering and purchasing new products and checking the quality and popularity of those already on our shelves
Job brief
We are looking for a competent Retail buyer to select and purchase lines of products on behalf of our company. The role is very important since our business activities cannot begin without the necessary stock.
The quality and variety of products on our shelves are essential for our success. Therefore, the ideal candidate must be a responsible individual with great attention to detail. As a retail buyer, you will also need to negotiate with suppliers to secure competitive prices.
The goal is to ensure that the business will always have adequate stock that meets its requirements. That way we can deliver value to our customers through high-quality products and facilitate sustainable growth.
Responsibilities
- Identify customer preferences and forecast consumer trends
- Evaluate supplier options according to prices, quality etc. and determine the best choices
- Discover and purchase new products and check the quality and popularity of those already on our shelves
- Negotiate terms of agreements to achieve the best deal for our company
- Ensure the timely delivery of products and compliance with the contracts of purchase
- Monitor stock levels and make plans for buying within budget
- Create reports on sales, budgets and customer satisfaction and adjust your strategies accordingly
- Forge and maintain trust relationships with suppliers to promote fair dealing
- Attend events, fairs and exhibitions to remain up-to-date with the market’s trends
Requirements and skills
- Proven experience as a retail buyer or relevant role
- Outstanding communication abilities
- Excellent organizational skills
- Demonstrable aptitude in effective negotiating
- Up to speed with purchasing best practices
- Familiarity with market research, data analysis and forecasting techniques
- Excellent knowledge of MS Office; working knowledge of purchasing software (e.g. SpendMap) is an advantage
- High school diploma; BSc/BA in business administration or relevant field will be considered a plus
Frequently asked questions
- What does a Retail Buyer do?
- A Retail Buyer plans, selects, and purchases products for their store - ensuring that it offers a variety to attract customers to drive profits. Some Retail Buyers specialize in different products depending on the business they’re employed by.
- What are the duties and responsibilities of a Retail Buyer?
- A Retail Buyer’s responsibilities include sourcing new goods from manufacturers and creating assortment bundles. They identify customer preferences, forecast consumer trends, review supplier options and determine the best choices based on their analysis.
- What makes a good Retail Buyer?
- A good Retail Buyer must anticipate the necessities of their customers, establish healthy and lasting liaisons with providers such as manufacturers, and make sure that merchandise meets quality standards and customer expectations- all while being aware of new trends.
- Who does a Retail Buyer work with?
- Retail Buyers typically work for department stores, boutiques, or retail chains. Day-to-day they interact with Merchandisers and Category Managers.