Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
Business and Financial Operations Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 13-1022.00
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.
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.39
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
- Data source: OpenAIPublished: 2023
0.400
0.000Range of values carried here0.844Scale, basis and source
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only20 rated tasks · 18 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (90.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 4 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns and determine what the company will sell and how much inventory is needed.13-1022.00 | 0.002525.8 | 0.005119.8 |
Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.13-1022.00 | 0.002020.6 | 0.002810.7 |
Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.13-1022.00 | 0.001919.6 | 0.00156.0 |
Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.13-1022.00 | 0.001818.6 | 0.006826.2 |
Recommend mark-up rates, markdown rates, or merchandise selling prices.13-1022.00 | 0.001515.5 | —0 |
Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media. | —0 | 0.004015.5 |
Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run. | —0 | 0.003011.5 |
Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions. | —0 | 0.002710.3 |
| Not observed on any surface — 12 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | ||
Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise. | —0 | —0 |
Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers. | —0 | —0 |
Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness. | —0 | —0 |
Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products. | —0 | —0 |
Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield. | —0 | —0 |
Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise. | —0 | —0 |
Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased. | —0 | —0 |
Train or supervise sales or clerical staff. | —0 | —0 |
Compare transportation options to determine the most energy efficient options. | —0 | —0 |
Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers. | —0 | —0 |
Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers. | —0 | —0 |
Monitor consumer preferences or environmental trends to determine the best way to introduce new green products. | —0 | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number.O*NET Task ID 77 | 1.0 |
Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory.O*NET Task ID 66 | 0.5 |
Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise.O*NET Task ID 68 | 0.5 |
Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased.O*NET Task ID 72 | 0.5 |
Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run.O*NET Task ID 78 | 0.5 |
Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media.O*NET Task ID 79 | 0.5 |
Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions.O*NET Task ID 19547 | 0.5 |
Compare transportation options to determine the most energy-efficient options.O*NET Task ID 19548 | 0.5 |
Develop strategies to advertise green products or merchandise to consumers.O*NET Task ID 19549 | 0.5 |
Identify opportunities to buy green commodities, such as alternative energy, water, or carbon-neutral products for resale to consumers.O*NET Task ID 19550 | 0.5 |
Monitor consumer preferences or environmental trends to determine the best way to introduce new green products.O*NET Task ID 19551 | 0.5 |
Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers.O*NET Task ID 20710 | 0.5 |
Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers.O*NET Task ID 20711 | 0.5 |
Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness.O*NET Task ID 20712 | 0.5 |
Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices.O*NET Task ID 20713 | 0.5 |
Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel.O*NET Task ID 20714 | 0.5 |
Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products.O*NET Task ID 20715 | 0.5 |
Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield.O*NET Task ID 20716 | 0.5 |
Train or supervise sales or clerical staff.O*NET Task ID 76 | 0.0 |
Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise.O*NET Task ID 20717 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (16)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Monitor and analyze sales records, trends, or economic conditions to anticipate consumer buying patterns, company sales, and needed inventory. | Core |
| Authorize payment of invoices or return of merchandise. | Core |
| Consult with store or merchandise managers about budgets or goods to be purchased. | Core |
| Buy merchandise or commodities for resale to wholesale or retail consumers. | Core |
| Negotiate prices, discount terms, or transportation arrangements with suppliers. | Core |
| Examine, select, order, or purchase merchandise consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, or other factors, such as environmental soundness. | Core |
| Recommend mark-up rates, mark-down rates, or merchandise selling prices. | Core |
| Obtain information about customer needs or preferences by conferring with sales or purchasing personnel. | Core |
| Collaborate with vendors to obtain or develop desired products. | Core |
| Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield. | Core |
| Train or supervise sales or clerical staff. | Supplemental |
| Provide clerks with information to print on price tags, such as price, mark-ups or mark-downs, manufacturer number, season code, or style number. | Supplemental |
| Determine which products should be featured in advertising, the advertising medium to be used, or when the ads should be run. | Supplemental |
| Monitor competitors' sales activities by following their advertisements in newspapers or other media. | Supplemental |
| Analyze environmental aspects of competing merchandise when making buying decisions. | Supplemental |
| Conduct sales meetings to introduce new merchandise. | Supplemental |
0.00/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Inspect merchandise or products to determine quality, value, or yield. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
The BLS Employment Projections table has no row for SOC 13-1022.
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28311 | 상품 기획자 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 51012 | 중고차 영업원 | Related, not a match | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3323Buyers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Buyers buy goods and services for use or resale on behalf of industrial, commercial, government or other establishments and organizations.
Tasks
- (a) determining or negotiating contract terms and conditions, awarding supplier contracts or recommending contract awards for the purchase of equipment, raw materials, products, services and merchandise for resale;
- (b) obtaining information about requirements and stock and developing specifications for quantity and quality to be purchased, costs, delivery dates and other contract conditions;
- (c) purchasing general and specialized equipment, materials or business services for use or for further processing by their establishment;
- (d) inviting tenders, consulting with suppliers and reviewing quotations;
- (e) purchasing merchandise for resale by retail or wholesale establishments;
- (f) studying market reports, trade periodicals and sales promotion materials and visiting trade shows, showrooms, factories and product design events;
- (g) selecting the merchandise or products that best fit the establishment's requirements;
- (h) interviewing suppliers and negotiating prices, discounts, credit terms and transportation arrangements;
- (i) overseeing distribution of merchandise to outlets and maintaining adequate stock levels;
- (j) establishing delivery schedules, monitoring progress and contacting clients and suppliers to resolve problems.
Example occupations
Buyer · Procurement officer · Purchasing agent · Purchasing merchandiser · Supply officer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
ISCO-08 3323
- green coffee buyerESCO 3323.2.1
Green coffee buyers purchase green coffee beans from producers all around the world commissioned by coffee roasters. They have a deep knowledge of the process of coffee from the fruit to the cup.
- purchaserESCO 3323.2
Purchasers select and purchase stock, materials, services or goods. They organise tender procedures and select suppliers.
- set buyerESCO 3323.3
Set buyers analyse the script in order to identify the set dressing and the props needed for all individual scenes. They also consult with the production designer and the prop and set making team. Set buyers buy, rent or commission the making of the props. Set buyers make sure sets are authentic and believable.
- ICT buyerESCO 3323.2.2
ICT buyers create and place purchase orders for ICT products and services, handle receiving and invoice issues, assess current procurement practices and effectively apply strategic sourcing methodologies. They build relationships with strategic vendors and negotiate price, quality, service levels and delivery terms.
- timber traderESCO 3323.4
Timber traders assess the quality, quantity and market value of timber and timber products for trade. They organise the selling process of new timber and purchase stocks of timber.
- costume buyerESCO 3323.1
Costume buyers work with the costume designer in order to identify the materials for the costumes. They buy and rent fabric, thread, accessories and other items needed to finish the wardrobe. Costume buyers may also purchase clothing items "off the peg", ready made. They base their purchases on the sketches of the costume designer.
- purchase plannerESCO 3323.2.3
Purchase planners organise the continuous supply with goods out of existing contracts.
- textile sourcing merchandiserESCO 3323.2.4
Textile sourcing merchandisers organise efforts for textile producers from fibre to final products.
ESCO occupations that ESCO classifies under the ISCO-08 unit groups linked above; they are not matched to this occupation one by one.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| M1101 | Acheteur / Acheteuse | This occupation is narrower |
| D1119 | Mareyeur / Mareyeuse | Related, not a match |
| D1431 | Assistant / Assistante achat | Related, not a match |
| G1806 | Chef sommelier / Cheffe sommelière | Related, not a match |
| D1419 | Courtier / Courtière en vins | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3522 | Agentes de compras | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 61113 | Berufe im Einkauf - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 61112 | Berufe im Einkauf - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 326 | 商品仕入外交員 | Same scope |
| 322 | 卸売店主・店長 | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources