Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products — Tasks

Task statements

• Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
• Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.
• 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.
• Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
• Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
• Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
• Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.
• Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.
• Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.
• Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.
• Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
• Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.
• Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.
• Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.
• Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.