| There are several very important skills a good buyer | | | | need to know all there is to know about the state of |
| will necessarily possess. It's completely true to say | | | | the industry, the actions of other companies, the |
| there's a large element of the role which requires | | | | selling figures of various products, etc. |
| savvy, instinct and creativity. It's also true to say | | | | Expertise of the industry is something I've mentioned. |
| that there is also a strong component of the job | | | | This is something which can be both learnt and |
| which involved relying on good data with a firm grip | | | | already established. Junior buyers are unlikely to |
| of statistics and gathered data. Expertise of the | | | | already have the level of expertise in the industry |
| industry is essential. Whether 'buying' is an art or a | | | | necessary to become senior buyers overnight: it can |
| science is an area of debate between buyers. There | | | | take years to become a genuine expert in a field of |
| are a number of different ways to measure the | | | | industry (even if people claim to be experts after a |
| quality of a 'buyer' within a company, but most of | | | | couple of blog posts...). |
| them are measurable after a success/failure - so how | | | | When recruiting a senior buyer, it can be as simple (if |
| do you know you're recruiting a good buyer? | | | | you're lucky...) as finding the candidate with a good |
| Depending on the industry, the amount of creativity | | | | track record from previous buyer jobs and other |
| and insight necessary to be a 'good' buyer varies. | | | | experience which means they will have the relevant |
| This isn't as simple as clothing retailers need to have | | | | knowledge of the industry to be successful in your |
| a better eye for fashion than a DIY store do. The | | | | organisation. |
| ways some retailers combine different products | | | | It is quite different when recruiting a junior buyer; |
| within their store can make a much bigger difference | | | | industry experience is obviously attractive, but just |
| in some industries than others. For example the way | | | | as important for an apprentice/junior buyer is the |
| hats compliment gloves, but plastic shelving doesn't | | | | capability to learn quickly and the savvy to adapt to |
| compliment wood-glue. | | | | the industry. Without a distinction between the two |
| Good buyers will have a control of a wide range of | | | | roles with regards to recruitment, you'll end up (if |
| relevant and important data and statistics. It's simply | | | | you're not lucky) with two junior or two senior |
| not enough to have good instinct in this role: buyers | | | | buyers doing different jobs. |