From collecting the trolleys to talking turkey, Jay’s cracked it
RETAIL buyers such as Jay ledwich are the people who help get ten million turkeys on to our Christmas dinner tables.
Jay, 30, who is assistant buyer of eggs, speciality poultry and game at Waitrose & Partners, worked his way up from the trolley park. He says: ‘ After finishing school nearly 14 years ago, I got a job at my local Waitrose store.
‘My first role was collecting trolleys, but I then went on to the fruit and vegetables department replenishing the stock.’
After eight years in stores, Jay moved to a job at head office in Bracknell, Berkshire, as a forecaster for the meat, poultry, fish and dairy team. Now he is responsible for buying turkey, geese, ducks, game, and eggs for all Waitrose stores.
He says: ‘ I love the fast pace and challenges of dealing with multiple stakeholders at once. I especially like working in the meat and poultry team — you can make a real impact and give the brand a competitive advantage.’
It is possible, like Jay, to climb the retail ladder from the bottom to become a buyer, but he says: ‘I wish I had gained a university qualification in business studies or management. I have arrived at my favoured career through hard work, but it has taken longer than it could have.’
Buying and merchandising is competitive. Many employers prefer graduates, especially those with business, fashion, finance and retail-related subjects.
Some universities offer buying and merchandising degrees, but employers also expect you to have work experience in retail. Several retailers offer graduates schemes that can lead to buying jobs. Typically, you start as a buyer’s admin assistant before progressing to assistant buyer and then buyer. Pay rates start from £18,000 and can reach £70,000-plus for senior buyers.