Graduate
Opportunities
The thrill of the trading floor - Buy! Buy! Buy!
Our customers come to us for high quality products at lower prices. Our Trading (Buying) teams make this promise a reality – and it's an incredibly skilled, creative and frenetic business. In over 100 product categories across food and home & leisure, they source products and deal with suppliers from all over the world. They control the profit & loss of their category, using cost price negotiation, range, pricing, promotions and marketing to deliver innovation, quality and value.
After spending a few weeks at Asda House learning about your role and getting to know your team, you'll spend five weeks in a dedicated training store, where you'll gain an in-depth understanding of how our stores operate and how this links with the decisions you'll make as a Trader. You'll then go on to spend 9 to 12 months as a Trading Assistant in a specific category, which could be anything from toys to wine. You'll learn all about customer spending habits, profitability analysis, marketing, packaging, merchandising, seasonal buying and selling, influencing and negotiating. Year 2 as a Trainee Buyer in a different category will take you to a higher level still, preparing for your role as a fully fledged Buyer at the end of the scheme.
As a Buyer you'll put what you've learnt into practice by managing a product range, with full profit & loss responsibility and the opportunity to source products from all over the world.
The skills you learn as a Trader are universal and can be applied to any part of the business. The future could take you all the way to Commercial Director, or into other areas such as Supply, Marketing, Operations and HR, as recent Trading Graduates have done. From the trading floor, many doors open outwards.
Am I cut out to be a Buyer?
If you're confident, tenacious and a logical thinker, with solid commercial acumen, then the answer is yes. You'll also need good numerical skills, the ability to analyse information quickly and clearly, and be the kind of person who can take calculated risks to deliver results.
What do I need to apply?
We consider applications from Graduates with a minimum of a 2:1 Honours degree in any discipline. If you're based in one of our stores or depots you'll need to be endorsed by your GSM/GM and PSM.
Where will I be based?
This role is based at Asda House in Leeds.
