Senior Retail Buyer

Job Title: Senior Retail Buyer

Company: QE Foodstores
Location: Sydney, Australia
Position: Full-time
Salary: $120,000 to $140,000 plus superannuation

About the Role

QE Foodstores is looking for an experienced and commercially driven Senior Retail Buyer to lead and strengthen our product buying strategy across our stores.

This role is responsible for overseeing the sourcing, ranging, pricing and supplier management of key retail categories, with a strong focus on quality, margin, availability, customer value and commercial performance. As Senior Retail Buyer, this position plays a critical role in shaping the product offer across QE Foodstores, ensuring our range continues to reflect the needs of our customers, the expectations of our local communities and the commercial goals of the business.

This position requires a higher level of strategic ownership, commercial analysis and supplier negotiation. The role involves reviewing category performance, identifying growth opportunities, improving supplier outcomes and supporting the ongoing development of product ranges that are fresh, competitive, profitable and aligned with the QE Foodstores brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage product ranges that support QE Foodstores’ quality standards, customer expectations and commercial objectives.
• Lead supplier negotiations across pricing, trading terms, promotional activity, ranging opportunities and supply agreements to achieve strong value, reliable supply and profitable outcomes.
• Review sales performance, margins, stock movement, wastage, availability and customer trends to support informed buying decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve product range, pricing structure, margin performance, stock turnover, supplier arrangements and customer value.
• Work closely with senior management to develop buying strategies that support business growth, profitability, product quality and customer satisfaction.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, growers, producers, wholesalers and other key supply partners.
• Hold suppliers accountable for quality, delivery, pricing, availability and service standards.
• Monitor market trends, seasonal availability, competitor activity and customer preferences to identify new product opportunities and range improvements.
• Collaborate with store teams to understand product performance, operational challenges, customer feedback, presentation standards and stock issues.
• Support promotional planning, seasonal campaigns, product launches and range reviews across stores.
• Ensure promotional and ranging activity is commercially sound, customer-focused and operationally practical.
• Resolve escalated supplier, product, delivery, pricing, quality or stock issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Maintain accurate product, pricing, supplier and category information within company systems.
• Ensure all products comply with relevant food safety, labelling, quality, supplier and business requirements.
• Support, guide or mentor other team members involved in buying, ordering, range management or supplier communication where required.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications Required

• Certificate IV or higher qualification in Business or a related field together with one to three years of relevant work experience.
• Strong understanding of retail product ranging, supplier management, commercial negotiations, pricing, margins, stock turnover, wastage control and category performance.
• Proven ability to analyse sales data, product performance, customer trends and market information to make informed commercial decisions.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to influence suppliers, internal teams and senior stakeholders in a confident and professional manner.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to balance quality, value, availability, profitability and customer expectations.
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple product categories, supplier relationships and competing priorities.
• Strong attention to detail when reviewing pricing, product information, supplier arrangements and commercial performance.
• Strong working knowledge of computer systems, spreadsheets and business reporting tools such as WorldSmart and Smart HQ platforms.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to respond quickly to supplier, stock, product, delivery or quality issues.
• Clear understanding of fresh food retail, product quality, food safety expectations and customer-focused supermarket operations.
• Practical, hands-on approach with the ability to work across both supplier strategy and store-level operational needs.
• Ability to identify commercial opportunities that improve sales, profitability, product range and customer satisfaction.

About QE Foodstores:
We are an independent Australian family-owned business dedicated to giving our customers a quality shopping experience at all our 10 stores. The customer is at the heart of everything we do, every day. We know our community have busy lives and want to access nourishing fresh food every day.