Buying for profit

One of the vital roles of retail buyers is an ability to strike good deals for their companies — haggling over that precious 1% which could mean a profit increase of 20%. The foremost skill involved is the art of negotiation, and for those not born with such an aptitude, but who would benefit by achieving it, the St Helens School of Management Studies has designed a course to train buyers in such strategies. Bob Forrester reports.