62101 Retail and wholesale buyers

What this occupation covers

Retail and wholesale buyers buy merchandise for resale by retail or wholesale establishments and are usually responsible for the merchandising operations of retail or wholesale establishments. Retail and wholesale buyers who are supervisors and those who are assistants are included in this unit group.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 9 main duties for this code.

• Purchase merchandise for resale by retail or wholesale establishments
• Review requirements of establishment and determine quantity and type of merchandise to purchase
• Study market reports, trade periodicals and sales promotion materials and visit trade shows, showrooms, factories and product design events
• Select the merchandise which best fits the establishment's requirements
• Interview suppliers and negotiate prices, discounts, credit terms and transportation arrangements
• Oversee distribution of merchandise to outlets and maintain adequate stock levels
• Establish and maintain contact with suppliers
• May supervise the work of other retail buyers.
• Retail and wholesale buyers may specialize in a particular merchandise line.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 9 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 12102 Procurement and purchasing agents and officers

Excluded from this code

• Procurement and purchasing agents and officers (See 12102 Procurement and purchasing agents and officers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

appliance buyer · assistant buyer · beverage taster and buyer · buyer - retail · buyer - wholesale · buyers supervisor · cattle buyer · chief buyer · chief buyer - retail or wholesale · clothing buyer · food buyer · fruit buyer · fur buyer · hardware buyer · hog buyer · livestock buyer · log buyer · lumber buyer · meat buyer · merchandiser · perishable food buyer · pharmaceuticals buyer · produce buyer · retail buyer

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is required.
• A university degree or college diploma in business, marketing or a related program is usually required.
• Previous work experience in retail or wholesale establishments is usually required.
• Supervisors and senior buyers require experience in the occupation supervised or in a particular merchandise line.