What does a retail buyer do?

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A retail buyer keeps accurate stock records so that they can purchase only necessary items for resale. They work within a specific budget and solve all the issues that arise with the supplier or merchandise. Besides determining contract terms and conditions, retail buyers also modify purchase orders as per the demand, availability, and season. Moreover, retail buyers choose the perfect merchandise to purchase by reviewing the catalogs. Furthermore, they locate, select, and procure merchandise for resale.

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Retail buyer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real retail buyer resumes:

Manage the open-to-buy (OTB) process by monitoring stock levels
Lead team of content support/merchandisers to achieve and consistently hit KPI goals.
Manage set up of new items as well as integration into POS system.
Manage open-to-buy to ensure continual flow of merchandise to stores and warehouses with careful attention to advertise events and promotions.
Key member of development team that implement JDA MMS software.
Maintain inventory and displays for jewelry and bath/body products.
Create online jewelry business selling original and wholesale accessories and designs.
Coordinate and produce retail promotions for expand POS and internet sales activity.
Work closely with the logistics department and internal warehouse to coordinate just in time deliveries and maintain daily inventory reconciliation.
Order parts using the AS400 system and by the forecast of what are projected to be order.
Direct development of college/university merchandising websites, including copywriting, graphics, content management, and sales data handling.

Retail buyer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 8% of Retail Buyers are proficient in Gross Margin, Vendor Relations, and Customer Service.

We break down the percentage of Retail Buyers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Gross Margin, 8%
Assorted and merchandised retail stores and internet sites in order to maximize sales and gross margin contribution in assigned categories.
Vendor Relations, 8%
Developed and executed strategies for merchandise assortments, vendor relations.
Customer Service, 7%
Delivered over 900 international transactions including purchasing, packaging, shipping and customer service.
Retail Management, 7%
Retail management and manager of chain-wide inventory project for 6 months.
Retail Store, 6%
Assisted with pricing and financial management by preparing daily markdown proposals and managing initial sales events within retail stores
Market Trends, 6%
Incorporated market trends into product selection by identifying those that will positively impact the business.

Common skills that a retail buyer uses to do their job include "gross margin," "vendor relations," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important retail buyer responsibilities below.

All retail buyer skills

The three companies that hire the most retail buyers are:

Tapestry Salon & Day Spa10 retail buyers jobs
Steel Dynamics6 retail buyers jobs
Visionworks5 retail buyers jobs

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Compare different retail buyers

Retail buyer vs. Merchandise planner

A merchandise planner is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of stock inventories and requesting purchase orders by researching current market trends to meet customer demands. Merchandise planners assist with marketing campaigns and promotional offers of the business, selling goods and services to the customers based on their needs and budget requirements. They also write sales reports, inspect the validity of merchandise, and maintain an attractive visual display of items. A merchandise planner resolves and escalates customer complaints timely, processes replacements, and issues refunds as needed.

The annual salary of merchandise planners is $16,740 higher than the average salary of retail buyers.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both retail buyer and merchandise planner positions are skilled in gross margin, retail store, and market trends.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between retail buyers and merchandise planner. For instance, retail buyer responsibilities require skills such as "vendor relations," "customer service," "retail management," and "trade shows." Whereas a merchandise planner is skilled in "strong analytical," "math," "open-to-buy," and "apparel." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Merchandise planners really shine in the retail industry with an average salary of $66,788. Comparatively, retail buyers tend to make the most money in the start-up industry with an average salary of $52,359.merchandise planners tend to reach similar levels of education than retail buyers. In fact, merchandise planners are 3.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Retail buyer vs. Purveyor

A store manager is responsible for selecting and purchasing goods. They provide information on products, including prices and promotions. They are responsible for providing recommendations to clients, handling customer requires, and solving any issues. They also monitor sales.

On average, purveyors earn a $8,418 higher salary than retail buyers a year.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real retail buyer resumes. While retail buyer responsibilities can utilize skills like "gross margin," "vendor relations," "customer service," and "retail management," purveyors use skills like "food products," "hand inventory," "placement process," and "computer system."

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Purveyors tend to reach similar levels of education than retail buyers. In fact, they're 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Retail buyer vs. Wholesale and retail merchant

An average wholesale and retail merchant eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of retail buyers. The difference in salaries amounts to wholesale and retail merchants earning a $2,417 higher average salary than retail buyers.By looking over several retail buyers and wholesale and retail merchants resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "customer service," "retail store," and "product development." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a retail buyer is likely to be skilled in "gross margin," "vendor relations," "retail management," and "market trends," while a typical wholesale and retail merchant is skilled in "apparel," "bottom line," "client satisfaction," and "processing orders."

When it comes to education, wholesale and retail merchants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to retail buyers. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Retail buyer vs. Store manager and buyer

Store managers and buyer typically earn higher pay than retail buyers. On average, store managers and buyer earn a $16,244 higher salary per year.According to resumes from retail buyers and store managers and buyer, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "vendor relations," "customer service," and "retail store. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A retail buyer uses "gross margin," "retail management," "otb," and "financial targets." Store managers and buyer are more likely to have duties that require skills in "payroll," "apparel," "boutique," and "store operations. "store managers and buyer reach similar levels of education compared to retail buyers, in general. The difference is that they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of retail buyer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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