CAREERS

Buyers are required throughout the fashion, footwear, textile and apparel industries to purchase the raw materials or equipment required for the manufacturing process, or to find products for sale and trade to retailers.

 

  

A buyer may be involved in the following activities; choosing appropriate products, finding suppliers, assessing bids from suppliers, negotiating prices, monitoring stock levels, interpreting sales forecasts and researching new products.

 

Buyers frequently work alongside senior management staff to determine buying requirements and budgets. Fashion buyers will also advise design teams about new trends and when new ranges are planned.

 

 

An assistant buyer can expect a starting salary of between £12,000 and £16,000 a year. With experience, a buyer can expect to earn between £20,000 and £35,000 a year. Senior buyers and purchasing managers can earn around £50,000 a year or more.

 

 

The working hours of a buyer can vary from company to company but mostly they will be expected to work normal office hours of between 37 and 40 hours a week. Longer hours and overtime may be required to meet deadlines and when travelling.

 

A buyer is usually office-based but will be required to travel both within the UK and overseas to meet with suppliers and attend trade shows.

 

 

It may be useful for a person considering a career in buying to have some of the following skills and interests:

 

·      planning, budgeting and negotiation skills

·      the ability to work under pressure and to deadlines

·      strong literacy, numeracy and IT skills

·      a creative mind to develop ideas and be ahead of the market

 

 Entry into a career as a buyer

It is possible to gain entry to a career as a buyer in a variety of different ways, but employers usually expect a candidate to be educated to A-level, HND or degree standard. Many larger companies run training schemes and experience of the industry is also valued highly.

 

Many universities, such as those listed below, now offer degrees in buying, specifically for the fashion or textile markets:

 

·      De Montfort University

·      The University of Huddersfield

·      The Manchester Metropolitan University

·      University of the Arts, London

·      University of Westminster

 

For more information on degree courses, visit the UCAS website: www.ucas.ac.uk/.

 

 

Professional qualifications are available from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) to enable buyers to progress their career, these include:

 

·      Level 3 Certificate in Purchasing and Supply

·      Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Purchasing and Supply

·      Level 5 Advanced Diploma in Purchasing and Supply

·      Level 6 Graduate Diploma, a degree-level qualification.

 

For more information on the CIPS, visit their website: www.cips.org/.

 

It is also possible for buyers to work towards NVQ Level 2, 3, 4 or 5 qualifications in supply chain management.

  

Buyers often begin their careers in smaller companies, moving up to larger companies as their experience grows. Promotion opportunities may be limited in smaller companies but buyers who are willing to re-locate may have more flexible career progression opportunities.

 

Buyers within the fashion and textile industry may be able to move into related areas, such as distribution, logistics, merchandising, sales, marketing or management.  

 

  

Qualification information (external sources)