Buying is surely one of the most attractive roles in the food and drink industry - travelling to exotic locations, sampling delicious produce, discovering innovative new products and delivering that precious first listing for a fledgling producer.

But don't expect relationships with suppliers to be all vineyard tours and clotted cream festivals. Negotiation of product costs will form a large part of your work and this can require fortitude and a thick skin. You will need to negotiate with regards to people's livelihoods - yet you may have to drive a hard bargain to ensure your retailer's milk, bread or meat prices are the lowest.

You'll need to work to immovable deadlines and operate many months ahead of schedules to deliver for the seasonal markets. Adjusting to this is often cited as one of the hardest challenges for buyers.

One thing you can be assured of is that you won't be doing the same job for long. While some buyers stay in one category for a long time, the majority move around every couple of years to get a broader knowledge of food and drink.

 

 

FEATURED RECRUITERS:
 

We recruit for over 250 retailers and FMCG manufacturers, from entry level up to Director level, within sales, marketing, consumer insight, buying, human resources, food technology, supply chain, logistics, procurement and store operations.

ASP offers a full career management service, designed to identify and secure the correct long term career choices for you.

 

 

I'VE GOT THAT JOB:
 

RICE, PASTA AND ETHNIC BUYER
REBECCA MARTYN – SAINSBURYS

Job description:
A buyer sources products at competitive costs, while not compromising on quality or service. A buyer is the link between Sainsbury and the supplier and must build relationships with suppliers while acting with integrity.

What do you actually do?
Much of my time is spent talking to suppliers about promotions, supply issues, new products etc. There’s also a lot of interaction with colleagues from other areas within Sainsbury, particularly supply chain and product quality. Monday mornings are all about understanding sales and profit data from the previous week, but I’ll be analysing data during the week too, either in response to a supplier proposal or to inform strategic decisions about my categories.

How did you get into it?
I was looking for a job in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and I thought retail would offer this. I wanted to use both interpersonal and analytical skills, which the role of a buyer requires. Buying also enables you to get a good overview of how the business as a whole works because of its interactions across different business areas like supply chain and retail.

Best bits?
The satisfaction of achieving a successful outcome from a negotiation with a supplier.

Most likely to put off?
Giving bad news to a supplier, for example when they are losing a piece of business.

Most memorable moment?
Standing up in front of the whole trading department to announce savings that had been made on a rice contract after I’d been buying for just six weeks!

Job-hunting tip?
Do your research; read up on the market and gain an insight into different roles before you apply for them.

Least likely to be told at induction?
There are lots of free samples and you can end up eating all day if you’re not careful!

Skills most used?
Communication and negotiation skills, and the ability to analyse data to inform commercial decisions.

What next?
Finish the scheme and get some more experience.