How to become a wholesale and retail buyer
Official title: Wholesale and retail buyer
Also called: Buyer, Purchasing officer, Procurement specialist, Retail buyer, Wholesale buyer, Merchandise buyer
Wholesale and retail buyers buy products for retail or wholesale businesses. They may manage orders, sales reports, pricing, quality control and payments.
Main tasks
- Buy products for retail or wholesale businesses
- Research and find new suppliers
- Negotiate prices and contracts with suppliers
- Order goods and services for businesses
- Manage payment and delivery records
- Keep up with market trends and demand
- Analyse sales reports and adjust strategies
- Communicate with suppliers and service providers
How to become one
You usually need experience to become a wholesale or retail buyer and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a relevant tertiary qualification in business and management, sales and marketing or similar area.
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in sales. TEC links this job to study in sales and marketing. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Distribution, NZ Cert in Retail. Usually 9 to 10 months.
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in sales. TEC links this job to study in sales and marketing. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Retail (Customer Service and Sales Support), NZ Cert in Retail. Usually 4 to 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $40,000 a year one year after study and $52,000 five years after; 29% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $60,000 to $121,000 a year (median $80,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $168,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 1,400 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Sales supervisor
- Parts salesperson
- Online merchant
- Advertising sales representative
- Sales representative
- Solar sales representative
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Questions people ask
How do I become a wholesale and retail buyer?
You usually need experience to become a wholesale or retail buyer and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a relevant tertiary qualification in business and management, sales and marketing or similar area.
How much does a wholesale and retail buyer earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $80,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $60,000 to $121,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a wholesale and retail buyer grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026