Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products: Career Overview
Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.
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What Tasks Do Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products Do?
The core tasks performed by wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products span:
- Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
- Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
- Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.
- Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.
- Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
- Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
- Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.
- Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
What Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products Need to Know
Effective wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Acquisition Specialist
- Art Dealer
- Buyer
- Buying Professional
- Category Planner
- Commodity Buyer
- Contract Sourcing Specialist
- Contracts Specialist
Employment and Demand
There are about 453,457 wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +2.6% over the projection horizon.
Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $111,183 |
| Hourly median | $53.45 |
| 10th percentile | $70,549 |
| 25th percentile | $90,866 |
| 75th percentile | $131,499 |
| 90th percentile | $151,816 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Tech Stack
- Development environment software: Eclipse IDE (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Purchasing Managers (Primary-Short)
- Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Primary-Short)
- Customs Brokers (Primary-Long)
- Online Merchants (Supplemental)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Supplemental)
- Retail Salespersons (Supplemental)
- Advertising Sales Agents (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Aspiring wholesale and retail buyers, except farm products typically earn programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
5 programs across 2 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1022.00 (Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products).
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