Retail & Wholesale Buyer
Business
Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.
You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.
- 2Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.
- 3Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.
- 4Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.
- 5Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.
- 6Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.
- 7Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.
- 8Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.
- 9Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.
- 10Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.
- 11Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.
- 12Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.
- 13Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.
- 14Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.
- 15Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.
- 16Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.
- 17Compare transportation options to determine the most energy-efficient options.
- 18Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers.
- 19Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers.
- 20Monitor consumer preferences or environmental trends to determine the best way to introduce new green products.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Buyer
- Trader
- Planner
- Exporter
- Merchant
- Purveyor
- Fur Buyer
- Purchaser
- Tie Buyer
- Tradesman
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
Typical entry
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Sales and Marketing76%
BusinessEconomics
- Customer and Personal Service75%
- English Language72%
English
- Mathematics71%
Additional MathematicsMathematics
- Administration and Management68%
BusinessEconomics
- Computers and Electronics68%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersVery high
- Handling conflict situationsOften
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentAlmost never
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work
Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org