The Complete Guide to Becoming A Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Product

Chapter 1: What Does a Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Product Actually Do?

Let's start with what the title doesn't tell you. A Wholesale and Retail Buyer, Except Farm Product — that's the official Bureau of Labor Statistics name for the person who decides which products a store, a chain, or a distributor will carry. The "except farm product" part just means we're not talking about the people who buy grain or cattle. We're talking about everything else: sneakers, handbags, electronics, office furniture, pet food, party supplies, auto parts, cosmetics, books, cleaning chemicals. If it's sold in a store, in a catalog, or on a website, someone bought it before you ever saw it. That someone is the buyer.

The most important thing to understand right away is that this job is not about shopping. You are not picking out things you like. You are making financial decisions with the company's money, and those decisions are judged by one number above all others: sell-through. That's the percentage of what you bought that actually sells at full price. Buy too much and you're stuck with markdowns, clearance racks, and a warehouse full of unsold product that eats into profit. Buy too little and the shelves are empty, customers are angry, and you left money on the table. Getting that balance right is the entire game.

The Core Responsibilities, Up Close

Your week will revolve around a handful of recurring tasks, and they're all more analytical than you might expect. First