Interviews are primarily conducted by recruiters to gauge how an applicant for a job does when placed under a microscope.
Any interview that you go through will be designed to make you slip. It is up to you to balance yourself in such a situation.
Preparing in advance for an interview will help you tremendously.
Here is a set of questions and answers to help you prepare for an interview for the position of retail buyer position:
Retail Buyer Interview Questions and Answers
1. Why you are interested in the retail buying field?
I have worked in retail for over 7 years now and realized that working in retail buying is where my strengths are. Having scanned all aspects, this is where I stopped, and since then, I am working extremely hard to carve a niche for myself.
2. What is the most interesting thing about retail buying in your opinion?
If you mean to ask what I find most fascinating, it is the challenge of securing the best deals with existing and new suppliers. That definitely gives me a kick.
3. As a retail buyer, what have been your primary duties?
While working as a retail buyer, I have been actively involved in analyzing consumer buying patterns and predicting future trends, managing stock level plans, meeting suppliers and negotiating terms and timelines with them, participating in promotional and merchandising activities, sourcing and building relationships with new vendors, analyzing past sales patterns to anticipate trends, presenting new ranges to retail managers, and ensuring that the quality of delivered products is as required by the end buyer.
4. What skills set do you think one needs in order to successfully work as a retail buyer?
In order to work successfully as a retail buyer, one has to possess outstanding communication qualities, extensive knowledge of the retail buying process, familiarity with purchasing best practices, ability to handle market research, data analysis, and forecasting techniques, knowledge of negotiating prices and pitching ideas, and capability of handling budgeting and stock control work.
5. What has been your biggest success so far?
I have been working as a retail buyer for 10 years and have a string of successes to my name. However, my most prized success at this point is successfully determining future trends for the buying house where I am working, and ensuring that they are provided with a profound and exceptionally workable buying strategy, which focuses on crushing the competition.
6. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I am working hard to cut a niche for myself in the retail buying world by learning all the ropes and making my way up to the position of head of retail buying in your company.