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Career ZoneCareer Research and PlanningEmployment sectorsBuying, Purchasing & Procurement

Buying, Purchasing and Procurement

Buying is dictated by what the customer wants, the new brands, the market, and the trends. You have to spot and react to the most exciting opportunities that may spring from nowhere.

Since the pandemic and the growth of online services there is a big demand for buyers, merchandisers, marketers and logistics professionals and so wider scope for professional and personal growth within this industry. Employers within the sector are looking for applicants with a working knowledge of the technological innovations influencing the ever-changing marketplace.

Sector overview and areas of work

Consumer goods companies are popular employers, often because of the appeal to work for a well-known brand, the broad career opportunities, and scope for development.  However, the public and Not for Profit  / Voluntary sectors also offer exciting opportunities especially in the areas of procurement.

Listen to the Procurement Officer who has worked in this field for the Fire and Rescue service and for the Scottish Parliament.

Career Advice

To understand further the difference between procurement and purchasing listen to What is Procurement v Purchasing (youtube.com)

To do further research into this sector, the following webpages may be very useful: 

  • Prospects: Overview of the UK’s Retail Sector– A summary of different retail careers, information on top employers, internships, and routes into sector careers.
  • Target Jobs: Retail – An overview of the jobs, internships, events, and employers in the sector, as well as industry specific advice for career progression.
  • Retail and Consumer Goods reports on My Career Zone Digital for an overview of the mainsector trends, statistics and major employers.

Sector news

Information and links from professional bodies

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary, however it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector. 

The main professional associations for this sector include:

Retail

Buying and selling

Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.

Making contacts

Making contacts is essential for success in this and other sectors. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start by speaking with the experts – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice using the Career Mentor Scheme or Ask An Alum.

Events

Recruitment fairs, open days, talks, and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. For details of future events visit Handshake. If you have not yet activated your account, select the Single Sign On (SSO) option and follow the onscreen instructions

Job roles

All roles can lead to very specialist expertise. For example, Procurement of IT or Facilities Management and Buyer for specific goods, or not physical goods at all, e.g., media buyer.

Explore roles in the sector by visiting the job profiles below. Each profile covers typical duties and responsibilities, entry requirements and the key skills required for the position. Take time to read the information on career prospects, case studies and alternative careers detailed in these pages to see the breadth of emerging opportunities and possible career progression.

Retail buyer may be the role which first comes to mind (see also Retail), or supply chain management (see also Transport and Logistics).

Skills employers look for:

Many career paths within these sectors are ideal for combining and making the most of analytical, organisational and communication skills.

Discover the skills and qualities needed for buying and merchandising, with advice from a TJX buyer (targetjobs.co.uk).

These skills include:

  • commercial awareness and an understanding of what makes customers buy products.
  • customer-centred with effective communication skills
  • adaptive, flexible, and collaborative
  • accountability and the ability to motivate and manage people effectively.
  • creativity and design skills
  • negotiation

Work experience and placements

Getting a graduate role is competitive. Undertaking relevant work experience will not only make your applications stand out, but it will also allow you to develop new skills and gain a valuable insight into the sector.

Prospects has information on how to get into buying and merchandising, what's available and how to get it.

Several major supermarkets and high street chains, such as Aldi, Boots and John Lewis, offer students paid summer internships or placement years in retail. Applications for large companies start to open in September, the year before the internship or placement year will take place. They start to close between November and February. Some companies recruit all year round, but it is best to start looking as early as possible.

University of Exeter Employability Schemes

Professional Pathways is a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships that take place in June. You may wish to explore  International Trade | Career Zone | University of Exeter

Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements.  Search for vacancies on Handshake.

Finding work experience

Before visiting the sites below you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page.

Use these resources to find additional advertised work experience:

Specialist recruitment agencies

Virtual work experience

  • Forage provides short virtual internships in a range of sectors, with opportunities to connect with employers.
  • The Bright Network provides virtual internships in a range of sectors and fast-track opportunities for graduate programmes and internships for virtual-intern alumni.

Speculative applications (e.g. where to find companies)

Work experience with smaller employers is not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively. You may need to contact these companies with a targeted enquiry for example using the LinkedIn alumni tool. LinkedIn is currently the foremost business networking site. It's an ideal way to network across different sectors, look for and talk to potential employers.

For other ideas for potential employers download a list of  Employers of Exeter graduates in retail and buying

Volunteering

Helping in a charity shop is beneficial experience for the retail sector. Voluntary work as a fundraiser would also be helpful for a career in sales & procurement.

The Students’ Guild  and the Students' Union advertise volunteering opportunities these range from student led projects to external volunteering opportunities. 

If you are interested in volunteering, you might find it helpful to read our ‘Paid, Unpaid or Voluntary? Know Your Rights’ blog post.

Competitions

L'Oréal Brandstorm (loreal.com)   an annual international competition for students to work in teams of 3 to win a 3-month intrapreneurship in the L'Oréal global office in Paris.

Graduate jobs and schemes

Competition is strong, especially for entry-level positions. Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and research employers.

Graduate schemes

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page, and for a list of general job search engines please visit our general job sources page. You could also have a look at Handshake, our vacancy database with employers who are targeting University of Exeter students.

See also vacancy sources in the Retail sector.

Finding companies for speculative applications

As jobs are not always advertised, it can be useful to develop your networking skills and apply speculatively.

Further sources of support

Being self-employed is common in the retail sector. Many large companies offer retail business opportunities in the form of franchises. In the UK, franchising is regulated by the British Franchise Association. The BFA website offers in-depth information and advice for those thinking of joining a franchise.

If you are an international student, on a Tier 4 visa you are unable to be self-employed or work as a freelancer. Visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally.

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal. Log in using your university email address. The worldwide country guides cover everything from job search resources and CV guidelines to cultural advice and visa information. Watch a short training video on how to get the most from GoinGlobal (4 minutes 20 seconds).

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to build their skills and knowledge of the sector. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. You may have the option to gain professional qualifications after graduating which will show your commitment towards the industry. Use the sites below to research your further study options.

If you would like to pursue postgraduate study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study. If you are unsure whether further study is for you, you may wish to attend our ‘Postgraduate study: is it right for you?’ session which runs termly. Find these advertised on Handshake.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Many major graduate employers have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting graduates from diverse backgrounds. To find out the policies and attitudes of employers that you are interested in, explore their equality and diversity policies, and see if they offer ‘Guaranteed Interview Schemes’ (for disabled applicants) or are recognised for their policy by such indicators as ‘Mindful Employer’ or as a ‘Stonewalls Diversity Champion’. 

The UK law protects you from discrimination due to your age, gender, race, religion or beliefs, disability, or sexual orientation. For further information on the Equality Act and to find out where and how you are protected, as well as information on what you need to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Government’s webpages on discrimination. 

To learn more about how to share details of a disability with an employer and the support you can receive applying for jobs and work experience visit our equality and diversity page.