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Business & Finance · Updated Aug 2026

Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products

Buy merchandise or commodities, other than farm products, for resale to consumers at the wholesale or retail level, including both durable and nondurable goods. Analyze past buying trends, sales records, price, and quality of merchandise to determine value and yield. Select, order, and authorize payment for merchandise according to contractual agreements. May conduct meetings with sales personnel and introduce new products. May negotiate contracts. Includes assistant wholesale and retail buyers of nonfarm products.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
59/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
54/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage85%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.High
75
Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.High
75
Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.High
71
Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.High
66
Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.High
74
Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.Medium
74
Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.Medium
61
Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.High
32
Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.Medium
58
Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.Medium
73
Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.Medium
74
Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.High
27
Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.Medium
33
Compare transportation options to determine the most energy-efficient options.Medium
25
Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers.Low
74
Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers.Low
75
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.75
  2. Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.75
  3. Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers.75
  4. Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.74
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Compare transportation options to determine the most energy-efficient options.01
  2. Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.02
  3. Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.03
  4. Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.04
  5. Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency71
Physical dependency33
Adoption pressure50
Labour-market resilience61
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →