Buyer

A buyer is a person or organization that purchases goods or services in exchange for payment. In consumer markets, a buyer may be an individual purchasing for personal use. In business-to-business contexts, a buyer is typically a purchasing agent or procurement professional responsible for identifying needs, evaluating suppliers, and negotiating terms on behalf of an organization. The term contrasts with seller, producer, and distributor roles within the supply chain.

In procurement and supply chain management, a buyer's duties often include determining specifications, issuing requests for proposals or quotations, assessing bids, conducting supplier qualification and risk assessment, negotiating price and conditions, issuing purchase orders, and monitoring supplier performance. Effective buyers consider total cost of ownership, quality, lead times, reliability, and after-sales support, and they may manage supplier relationships and contracts over time.

Buyers influence markets through demand. The price-quantity relationship is shaped by the preferences and purchasing power of buyers. In settings like auctions, buyers may compete for items, sometimes paying a premium such as a buyer's premium. In real estate, a buyer arranges financing and completes a closing; in retail, a buyer may be a job title within a retailer responsible for product assortments and supplier selection.

Etymology and related terms: the word derives from the verb buy plus the agent suffix -er. Related terms include purchaser, consumer, shopper, and procurement professional.