Fresh Profile: Retail Buyer Jobs

Published on 2008-08-06

While retail buyer jobs are usually described as shopping jobs, this multi-faceted career involves much more than just shopping. Buyers combine research and industry trends with marketing and business skills to predict what the consumer will want to buy - making their role one of the most vital in the retail industry.

Retail buyers are responsible for choosing and ordering the merchandise for a store. But before they can begin scouting the wholesale marketplace for an assortment of merchandise, they must consider a variety of important factors. These factors include consumer purchasing trends, price, quality, and fashion trends. Buyers track consumer purchasing trends by analyzing the data from their sales and returns inventory. This is why an important part of retail jobs is to keep a thorough inventory. Next, price is an important factor. All buyers are on a specific budget. They must be able to find high-quality products at the lowest prices. In order to do so successfully, buyers must have strong negotiating skills. Finally, one of the most important factors buyers need to consider is fashion trends. Retail buyers stay abreast of the latest trends by reading fashion and trade magazines, attending fashion and trade shows, and following the media. The ultimate goal is to choose merchandise that will disappear off the shelves.

As with most jobs in retail, a buyer may work for a department, a store, or a chain of stores. Buyers have different job titles depending on where they work. For example, central buyers work for chain stores or malls, while resident buyers work for firms. A buyer usually starts off as a trainee, is promoted to assistant buyer, and then finally to buyer. Buyers who become really successful have the opportunity to advance to retail management jobs.

While there are many different avenues that can lead to a retail buyer career, a bachelor's degree is generally required for most jobs. For example, a person who is interested in fashion careers and has a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising could choose to work as a retail buyer. A bachelor's degree in business or a related field is also equally accepted by many firms and companies. Most firms hire buyers with retail experience, thus sales representative jobs are a great opportunity to gain experience. Employers tend to hire individuals with leadership skills and who enjoy competition in a fast-paced environment. Of course, people with a bachelor's degree combined with experience have the best chance for obtaining a buyer position.

Employment opportunities for retail buyers are expected to remain steady despite the current economic woes. The majority of job opportunities are found within the major fashion market cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Within the larger retail stores, most jobs will be found at the store headquarters.

Begin your job search for retail buyer jobs at Fresho.com. If you still don't know whether this is the right career choice for you, you can get a feel for the industry by searching for other jobs in retail. At Fresho.com, we are eager to help you reach your career goals, one step at a time.