A Retail Buyer Is Responsible For Planning And Selecting A Range Of Products To Sell In Retail Outlets. The Buyer Must Consider The Following Factors When Making Purchasing Decisions:
- customer Demand, Including Price, Quality And Availability;
- market Trends;
- store Policy;
- financial Budgets.
Buyers Source New Merchandise And Review Existing Items To Ensure Products Remain Competitive. By Fully Understanding Customer Needs, They Are Able To Maximise Profits And Provide A Commercially Viable Range Of Merchandise At Competitive Prices. Keeping Up To Date With Market Trends And Reacting To Changes In Demand Are Key Elements Of The Role.
Retail Buyers Have A Considerable Amount Of Responsibility And Autonomy In What Is Often A Pressured Environment.
Typical Work Activities Can Vary According To The Season. This Is Particularly True For Those Working In Fashion. For Example, Out Of Season, The Majority Of Time Will Be Spent In The Workplace (in The Office And On The Shop Floor), And During The Buying Season, A Significant Amount Of Time Will Be Spent Away From The Workplace In Order To Assemble A New Collection Of Merchandise.