Buying Graduate ProgrammeEarly Careers

Ready to turn your passion for products, trends and customers into a career?

At Asda, we're looking for ambitious graduates to join our Buying team and help shape the products our customers see on shelves every day.

This is an exciting opportunity to kickstart your career in retail with a business that serves millions of customers across the UK. Through a combination of hands-on experience, structured development and exposure to key commercial functions, you'll build the skills and confidence needed for a successful career in buying and merchandising.

No specific business degree is required. We're looking for curious, driven individuals who are eager to learn, build relationships and make an impact.

“Everything about Asda”

We are a values-led organisation. As such we, encourage everyone to be open and honest. We work creatively and collaboratively, valuing everyone's input.

Our collaborative culture, the size of our business and our belief in the empowerment of the individual means opportunities at Asda are abundant.

We conduct £300m worth of transactions every week. Our website handles over 2 million transactions a month. We have more than 145,000 dedicated Asda colleagues ensuring that our customers are at the heart of everything we do.

“Everything you'll love”

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including:

  • Discretionary company bonus

  • Company pension up to 7% matched

  • 15% colleague discount in store and online

  • Free access to wellbeing services such as Wagestream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.

  • Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated

  • Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be Proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves

Plus, much more!

"Find Your Role"

Our Buying Graduate role offers a structured commercial development journey, giving you the opportunity to develop deep buying and merchandising expertise while gaining experience across different areas of the Buying function and helping shape the products, promotions and ranges our customers love.

Throughout the two-year journey, you'll rotate across Buying, Merchandising and Category Planning, building a strong understanding of how our Commercial teams work together to deliver great quality products, exceptional value and profitable growth. Along the way, you'll develop the skills, knowledge and commercial awareness needed for a successful career within Asda's Commercial function while discovering where your strengths and interests lie.

As part of your development, you'll also spend time in our stores, giving you first hand insight into the customer experience and how decisions made within a commercial role directly impact colleagues, customers and store performance. This unique exposure will help you understand the full product journey, from supplier to shelf.

No two days are the same, but you can expect to:

  • Support the management of product categories and trading performance

  • Analyse sales data and identify commercial opportunities

  • Assist with promotional planning and execution

  • Build relationships with suppliers and internal stakeholders

  • Attend supplier meetings and support negotiations

  • Contribute to range reviews and customer-led decision making

  • Support Profit & Loss performance across categories

  • Produce internal sales reporting and commercial insights

  • Visit stores to understand customer behaviour, product performance and operational execution

Let's Find Out About You

We're looking for graduates who are:

  • Curious and commercially minded

  • Analytical and confident working with data

  • Strong communicators who enjoy building relationships

  • Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment

  • Customer-focused and passionate about retail

  • Eager to learn and develop their career

  • Resilient and able to make informed decisions

  • Excited by products, trends and understanding customer needs

A strong business background isn't required for success within retail. Buying and merchandising require a diverse range of skills, many of which are transferable. The most important qualities are curiosity, drive and an innate desire to continually learn and develop.

What You'll Learn

As part of your development, you'll gain valuable experience and build skills in:

  • Managing supplier relationships

  • Understanding market trends and customer behaviour

  • Navigating supply chain challenges

  • Delivering successful promotional activity

  • Cost, margin and Profit & Loss management

  • Planning and executing category strategies

  • Using data and insight to drive decisions

  • Maintaining a competitive edge in a fast-moving retail market

By the end of the role, you'll have developed a strong commercial foundation and a deep understanding of how buying decisions shape the customer experience across Asda.

"Find Your Everything At Asda"

We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We're committed to attracting and developing diverse talent and creating opportunities for everyone to succeed.

Take your time completing your online application. It's your chance to make a great first impression.

If you're successful through our selection process, you'll progress through the following stages:

  • A short, blended personality and numerical assessment

  • Three, quick video interview questions

  • A half-day assessment centre, where you will meet the team and find out more about the programme.

If you are successful, we will ask you to come and join ASDA in September 2027. You will need to work a minimum of three days per week in Asda House, Leeds. The three-day office attendance requirement may vary based on the specific team and its operational requirements.

Applications may close before the deadline so please register your interest as soon as possible.

All candidates must have the continuous right to work in the UK and any offer of employment is conditional upon this requirement. Asda do not provide sponsorship for our graduate and apprenticeship programmes.

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Rewards and Recognition

Benefits you’ll only find here

10% off Asda pet insurance

10% off selected Asda Pharmacy services

10% off Asda Tyres

10% off Asda Travel insurance

20% off Asda Mobile bundles

Free remote GP service

Available to you, your partner and your children, 24/7, year round.

Pension

Save for retirement with contributions paid into your pension account by you and Asda.

Free physiotherapy consultations

Helping you and your partner take care of yourselves with 8 free sessions per year.

Colleague discounts

15% off at our stores - get discounts on groceries and George all year round.

Car cash allowance

Eligible colleagues will receive a cash allowance as part of their benefits package. In addition, all salaried colleagues can choose to register for the Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme*.

(*Conditions apply)

Mortgage advice

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, renewing your mortgage, looking at buy to lets, or simply after some advice in getting a mortgage, get free* unbiased advice through the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), one the UKs largest mortgage brokers.

Confidential support helpline

Find free emotional, practical, and financial support that’s fully confidential, through a helpline that’s available 24/7, year round.

Cycle to work

Buy a bike through this scheme and save on tax and national insurance.

Financial support

Find financial wellbeing tools and support, including the ability to stream your pay.

Free eye tests

Head to our in store opticians for a free checkup and take care of your vision.

Bonus

Sharing our success with a discretionary bonus scheme for salaried colleagues that really rewards your contributions.

Cancer support

Guidance and support for you and your family, from before diagnosis, to treatment and beyond.

Paid time off

From holiday to sick leave and other types of leave, such as parental leave.

Mental health support

Access free mental health support for you and your family.

Support and advice with care

If you’re supporting older family or friends with care and support, find free, confidential information, expert support, and guidance about later life care for your loved ones through the Legal & General Care Concierge service.

Hybrid working

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots

Save money on every day spends

Access to hundreds of high-street discounted Vouchers, discounts on days out, gym memberships, airport parking, and more

Setting your loved ones up for the future

As part of the team, you’ll get life assurance.

Guaranteed contracted hours

All colleagues are guaranteed weekly contracted hours / guaranteed weekly shifts via their contract of employment which is agreed with the hiring manager.

Holiday buying

Once a year our salaried colleagues are able to buy up to 5 additional days holiday via salary sacrifice (subject to eligibility).

Find out more

Our commitment to the Armed Forces

Here at Asda, we’re dedicated to helping the Armed Forces rediscover their everything after service. We guarantee interviews for people who have left service and meet the minimum criteria for a role, provide leave for reservists’ training, support for cadet training, and employment opportunities for their partners. And that’s why we have over a thousand new colleagues from the Armed Forces Service Leaver Community join us every year.

Find out more
It’s really important to embrace change - customers want different things every day so it’s important we stay on top of it and keep up with trends.

Meg,

Buying Manager - Desserts and Ice Cream

Moving around the business allows you to meet new people. This means getting a different angle on the business as you shape your journey at Asda.

Meet The Recruiters

Maariyah Akram

Future Talent Specialist

Early Careers

Connect with Maariyah Akram

I recruit for Apprenticeships and Graduate Programmes.

A bit about me and my role...
I've been with Asda since 2022. I started off working in Tech recruitment and now work in Future Talent. I recruit for Apprenticeships and Graduate programmes.

A fun fact about me...
Passed my driving test on the 9th time and I impulsively bought a kitten.

My favourite Asda product is..
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