Wholesale and Retail Buyers
Official O*NET title: Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products (13-1022.00)
Also called: buyer, retail buyer, merchandise buyer, bakery buyer, deli buyer
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing wholesale and retail buyers work
2 of 9 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 22%. 1 newer task is not in the data yet and left out.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices (main task) — too new for the AI data
- Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing staff (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media — some recorded AI use
- Provide clerks with information to print on price tags — no recorded AI use
- Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions — no recorded AI use
- Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run — no recorded AI use
- Train or supervise sales or clerical staff — no recorded AI use
- Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise”. Try the prompt for: “Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and wholesale and retail buyers
Will AI replace wholesale and retail buyers?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 2 of the 10 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 12 of the 16 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which buyer tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise; monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media; monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.
Which buyer tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers; inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield; obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing staff. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 70% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a buyer start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Wholesale and Retail Buyers ranks #335 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #28 of 31 in Finance.
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