The rise and rise of the purchasing director

Discusses the increasing power of company buying departments. Various factors have been responsible: supply shortages in the 1970s put emphasis on continuity, not price; at a time of rampant cost and wage inflation, consumers would pay any price asked; but after the recession of 1989-92, in a low inflation economy, consumers will not accept price rises.

the rise and rise of the purchasing director

Tony ScoullerRPM Ltd

When I joined a marketing department as a trainee in the 1960s, there was a very polite gentleman on the executive committee who had the title of buying director.

I was told that he had been 'kicked upstairs' and that the job had been 'made for him'. I soon discovered that he had a modest department, which consisted of an eclectic clutch of buyers ranging from the extremely correct Mr Truelove to the barrowboy Ron. They were responsible for buying all commodities from blackcurrants to sugar to packaging...

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