Retail and purchasing

Retail buyer CV: example and template

This example is for buyers at retail chains, online shops and wholesalers, and for assistant buyers, analysts and purchasing specialists who want to manage a category.

The employer wants to know which category you manage, how you build the range, how you negotiate with suppliers, how you look after margin and stock turn and what sales results you have. We show you how to describe this on your CV.

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Example CV: retail buyer

All the details in this example are fictional. Treat it as a model of layout and wording, and replace the content with your own experience.

Rafal Kurowski

Category buyer

Poznan +48 123 456 789 rafal.kurowski@example.com

Professional profile

Buyer with 7 years of experience at a DIY store chain, the last 4 responsible for the garden category with a turnover of around PLN 90 million a year. I build the range and plan the season, negotiate trading terms with around 40 suppliers, set prices and promotions, introduce new products and private labels and analyse sales and stock turn. In 2 years the category margin rose by 2.1 percentage points.

Work experience

Garden category buyer

03.2021 - present

DIY store chain, Poznan

  • Category with a turnover of around PLN 90 million a year.
  • Range and season plan for 60 stores.
  • Negotiating trading terms with around 40 suppliers.
  • Category margin up 2.1 percentage points in 2 years.
  • New products, private label, prices and promotions.

Assistant buyer

06.2018 - 02.2021

DIY store chain, Poznan

  • Sales reports.
  • Product data sheets.
  • Contact with suppliers.

Education

Master's degree, trade and logistics

2013 - 2018

Poznan University of Economics and Business

Skills

  • Category management
  • Range building
  • Supplier negotiations
  • Pricing and promotions
  • Sales, margin and stock turn analysis
  • Private label

Training

  • Commercial negotiation training, 2020
  • Category management training, 2021
  • Advanced spreadsheet skills

Languages

  • English: C1
  • German: B1

Additional information

  • Driving licence category B
  • Travel to trade fairs and suppliers

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for the purposes necessary to carry out the recruitment process, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR).

How to write a retail buyer CV

Professional summary

Write which category you manage, at which company and how big it is. Add results, for example higher margin or sales. The employer is looking for a buyer who knows the market and the customer, negotiates hard and makes decisions based on data.

Assistant buyer with 3 years of experience at a retail chain. I prepare sales reports, keep product data sheets and keep in contact with suppliers. I am looking for work as a category buyer.

Experience: duties and achievements

Describe the company, category, turnover, number of stores, suppliers, negotiations, prices and results. Show results in numbers. Add languages and analytical tools. Also say whether you buy directly from manufacturers abroad.

Weaker: Category.

Better: Category with a turnover of around PLN 90 million a year.

Weaker: Negotiations.

Better: Negotiating trading terms with around 40 suppliers.

Weaker: Results.

Better: Category margin up 2.1 percentage points in 2 years.

Skills worth listing

List category management, the range, negotiations, pricing, analysis and private label. In your soft skills show decisiveness, analytical thinking and resilience under pressure.

Professional skills

  • Category management
  • Range
  • Negotiations
  • Pricing and promotions
  • Sales analysis
  • Private label

Personal skills

  • Decisiveness
  • Analytical thinking
  • Resilience under pressure
  • Communication
  • Assertiveness

Training

List negotiation and category management training and your level with analytical tools. A buyer works with data for most of the day.

How to become a retail buyer

Most people start as an assistant buyer or analyst in a purchasing department. On your CV show reports, analyses and supplier contact.

Add good spreadsheet skills and languages. They are the basis for working with data and foreign suppliers.

Tailoring your CV to the job offer

A retail chain looks for category management and negotiations, an online shop for a wide range and fast stock turn, and a wholesaler for purchase terms and stock levels. Move to the top what the job ad is about.

The most common mistakes on a retail buyer CV

Questions and answers

What should a retail buyer put on a CV?

The company, category, turnover, suppliers, negotiations, pricing, promotions, results, tools and languages.

How is a retail buyer different from a purchasing specialist?

A retail buyer manages a category of goods for sale, while a purchasing specialist buys materials and services for the company.

Which results are worth giving?

Higher margin, sales and stock turn, and better supplier terms.

Are foreign languages needed?

Often yes, especially when buying from foreign suppliers.

Create a retail buyer CV in the builder

In the CV Majster builder you enter your details step by step and see right away what the document looks like. You can copy the wording from this page and adapt it to yourself. The finished CV as a PDF costs a one-off PLN 5, with no subscription, and you see the preview before you pay.

Go to the CV builder

See also

Resume examples for similar jobs

Career guide

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