Retail buyers choose products for shops to sell.
£18,000 Starter
to£70,000 Experienced
38 to 40 a week
evenings attending events or appointments
You can get into this job through:
You could do a course at college to get some of the skills needed to work in retail. Examples are:
A course like this may help you to get your first job. You could then move into buying as your experience grows.
You'll usually need:
You might start your career with a retail team leader advanced apprenticeship or retail manager higher apprenticeship before moving into the buying side.
You'll usually need:
You can start as an assistant buyer and go on to become a junior buyer and work your way up. To go straight into a buying role, you'll usually need a qualification in retail or business.
It's possible to get experience in retail on the shop-floor, in visual merchandising, or as an admin assistant in a buyer's office. You can then spend time learning, doing training and getting qualifications on the job.
Some companies in fashion retail offer training schemes specifically for buyers. These tend to be aimed at graduates. Other types of retailers offer general store management training schemes with the option to specialise in buying later on.
You'll need:
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
You could work in an office.
With experience and training you could become a senior buyer, buying controller or head of buying. You could also move into product management, marketing or merchandising.