Wholesale and Retail Buyers
On the Job
Wholesale and Retail Buyers buy merchandise to sell to consumers at the wholesale or retail level. They analyze buying trends, sales records, prices, and the quality of merchandise.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Obtain information about goods or services.
- Research issues related to the environment or sustainable business practices.
- Confer with personnel to coordinate business operations.
- Discuss business strategies, practices, or policies with managers.
- Identify strategic business investment opportunities.
- Authorize financial actions.
- Determine the value of goods or services.
- Purchase products or services.
- Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.
- Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
Typical Working Conditions
- Having telephone conversations.
- Using e-mail.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Working with a group or team.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Sitting.
- Responsibility for outcomes and results.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
