Assistant Produce Buyer

Career Guide

An Assistant Produce Buyer supports the day to day purchasing of fresh fruits and vegetables for a grocery retailer, distributor, or foodservice business. The role focuses on keeping products in stock, maintaining quality standards, managing vendor communication, and helping control costs while reducing waste.

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Key Responsibilities

Support ordering of produce based on sales trends and inventory levels
Track inventory levels and identify items at risk of going out of stock
Monitor product freshness and quality with receiving and quality teams
Communicate with growers, brokers, and wholesalers about availability and pricing
Assist with negotiating costs, delivery terms, and minimum order requirements
Coordinate deliveries, lead times, and receiving schedules with logistics teams
Maintain item setup data such as pack size, cost, and vendor details
Help manage promotions by ensuring supply for planned ads and displays
Review invoices for accuracy and resolve pricing or quantity discrepancies
Analyze shrink and waste and recommend actions to reduce losses
Prepare simple reports on sales, margin, and inventory aging
Follow food safety, traceability, and compliance requirements

Top Skills for Success

Attention to Detail

Communication

Time Management

Problem Solving

Negotiation

Vendor Management

Inventory Management

Demand Forecasting

Pricing Analysis

Quality Inspection

Cold Chain Basics

Food Safety Awareness

Spreadsheet Skills

Order Management Systems

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Produce Buyer

Category Analyst Inventory Planner Merchandiser

Produce Manager

Transition Opportunities

Category Manager Procurement Specialist Supply Chain Planner Sourcing Manager

Replenishment Manager

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Forecasting AccuracyPromotion PlanningMargin ManagementContract FundamentalsShrink ReductionTraceability ProcessesAdvanced Spreadsheet ModelingStakeholder Management

Development SuggestionsBuild forecasting and margin skills by owning a small set of items and tracking results weekly. Ask to shadow vendor calls to learn pricing drivers and seasonality. Strengthen spreadsheets by practicing simple models for sales, inventory, and shrink. Learn traceability and food safety requirements by completing internal training and documenting standard steps for recalls and lot tracking.

Market Intelligence Report

Assistant Produce Buyer is part of the Procurement category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry LevelUSD 38,000 to 50,000

Mid LevelUSD 50,000 to 68,000

Senior LevelUSD 68,000 to 90,000

Growth Trend

Steady demand. Hiring tracks overall grocery and foodservice activity, with consistent needs due to high turnover in operations roles and the ongoing importance of controlling waste and costs in fresh foods.

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

KrogerWalmartCostcoTargetAlbertsonsWhole Foods MarketPublixAhold DelhaizeSyscoUS FoodsGordon Food ServiceKeHE DistributorsUNFIC&S Wholesale Grocers

Industry Sectors

Grocery RetailWholesale DistributionFoodservice DistributionMeal Kit ProvidersProduce ImportersProduce Growers and Shippers

Recommended Next Steps

Ask your manager for ownership of a small commodity group to manage end to end ordering

Create a weekly scorecard for in stock rate, shrink, and margin for your items

Schedule regular check ins with top vendors to learn seasonality and supply risks

Take a spreadsheet course focused on lookups, pivot tables, and basic forecasting

Partner with store operations to understand display plans and quality issues

Document standard steps for invoice disputes and receiving discrepancies

Learn your company item setup process and practice auditing item data for errors

Build a resume story around measurable improvements such as reduced shrink or improved in stock performance