The duties of a buyer are to assess customer purchase trends in a retail outlet and to order and stock products specific to the store or department. In smaller retail stores, there may be only one buyer, and their responsibilities are to maintain inventory for all the items in the store. At larger stores, such as a department store or big box store, a buyer may only be responsible for stocking and ordering items in a specific department, such as sporting goods, swimwear, or children’s clothing. Buyers attempt to forecast changes in demand or anticipate different buying patterns for different times of the year.