2. General information
A retail buyer selects, orders, and purchases goods
to be sold by various employer’s, including retail
chains, department stores and independent
stores. Ex. flower stores, clothing stores etc.
- Analyzes sales records and inventory
- Studies market reports
- Attends trade shows to predict consumer
demand and selects products to buy
- Finds suppliers and negotiate quantity, prices.
3. Education and training
- A degree or diploma in business, marketing, or a
related field
- Recommended grade 12 courses:
- English - Mathematics
- Social studies - Economics
- Accounting - Business and management
- Marketing - Computers
4. Abilities
- Communication skills
- Good with people
- Knowledge of other languages is useful eg.
French, Spanish, etc.
- Good organization skills
- Familiarity with employer’s products
5. Workplace
- Retail buyers do quite a bit of traveling.
- They visit branch stores, trade shows, warehouses, and
factories.
- When they are not on the road, buyers work in well lit,
clean, and comfortable offices
- Buyers who work for chain stores may work in the head
office or the main store
- Buyers for large firms, particularly in the fashion industry,
are often based in major market cities such as
London, New York, or Toronto.
6. A day in the life
- 7:00am-8:00am :
- Review the previous days sales reports
- Finding what needs to be re stocked
- Restocking the shelves; checking inventory in
order to place orders later in the day.
- 8:00am-10:00am :
- Working on merchandise displays, especially
when new merchandise arrives
7. - 10:00am-1:00pm :
- Ordering merchandise; reviewing products in the
inventory
- Preparing orders before contacting the sales
representatives
- Placing the orders
- Repeating this process with about 10 different
companies
8. - 1:00pm-2:00pm :
- Receiving a delivery of merchandise; unpacking
boxes, as well as checking for quality control
- 2:00pm-4:00pm :
-Assisting customers in the shop; working the register
- 4:00pm-4:30pm :
- Closing the shop, running daily sales reports,
reviewing sold inventory
9. Hours and salary
- Most retail buyers work on average 8 hours a day.
- They usually work long hours during holidays and
back to school season.
- Salary is usually in between $25,00 to $75,000 a
year or more.
- Earnings depend on employer, experience and
the type and amount of goods bought.
- Some receive bonuses or shares of the profits.
10. Why do I like this job?
- I enjoy managing money and budgets
- I get to shop
