Retail buyer : Employers and vacancy sources

All retailers and manufacturers employ people that are responsible for buying. Typical employers include:

• high street department stores;
• specific product-led retailers, e.g. clothing, shoes, food and drink, sporting goods, electrical goods, furniture and furnishings;
• niche retailers;
• mail order companies;
• online sellers;
• television shopping channels;
• general discounters;
• supermarkets;
• home improvement stores.

Buyers are predominantly based at company head offices, many of which are in London and the South East, although a handful of the large national retailers are based elsewhere in the UK. Smaller regional retailers may also have buying positions.

Skills are transferable across different sectors because most organisations have a common need to buy goods, services or materials.   

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Drapers Jobs  
• The Appointment  
• Retail Week    
• InRetail  
• Retail Careers  
• Retail Moves  
• Retail Choice  
• National press, including Guardian Jobs , Independent Jobs , The Daily Telegraph Jobs and The Times Jobs .

There are also recruitment agencies that specialise in finding vacancies within the retail buying sector. Search the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC)  consultancy finder for a list of member agencies.