St Mary’s College (Ponsonby)
Buyer Kaihoko
Buyers purchase goods to sell in warehouses, shops or department stores.
Buyers can gain certification in production and inventory management through NZPICS.
Buyers may do some or all of the following:
- review stock levels and order products
- review new products and consumer trends
- talk with sales representatives and negotiate prices with suppliers
- inspect, compare and select goods for sale
- arrange payments and deliveries
- decide how much to charge for goods
- assist with product range and development.
Physical Requirements
Buyers need to be reasonably fit and healthy as they may need to lift heavy products such as wool bales.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for buyers includes:
- sales
- storeperson work
- customer services
- importing and exporting.
Personal Qualities
Buyers need to be:
- outgoing, confident and persuasive
- able to make good judgements
- good communicators.
Skills
Buyers need to have knowledge of:
- the market in which they intend to sell the goods
- the products they are selling
- competitors' prices, services and products
- presentation and sales techniques
- shopping and fashion trends
- global product trends
- budgeting, currency conversion and exchange rates.
Conditions
Buyers:
- work regular business hours, but may work longer hours if travelling
- usually work in offices, but also spend time in warehouses and shops
- may travel to trade shows, seminars and expos.
Subject Recommendations
There are no specific secondary education requirements to become a buyer. However, accounting, business studies and mathematics are useful.
Related Subjects
Buyers can earn around $48K-$60K per year.
Pay for buyers varies depending on where they work, what other duties they have, and experience.
- New and assistant buyers usually start on $48,000 to $60,000 a year.
- Buyers with one to five years' experience usually earn between $60,000 and $115,000.
- Senior buyers can earn between $115,000 and $140,000.
Source: careers.govt.nz research, 2020.
Buyers may progress to set up their own retail business, or move into brand or merchandise manager roles.
Buyers usually specialise in certain products such as:
- vehicles
- clothing
- food
- electronics
- raw materials.
They may also specialise in brand management or visual merchandising.
Years Of Training
There are no specific entry requirements to become a buyer, but employers usually prefer you to have retail experience or tertiary qualifications in business, marketing, management or commerce.
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