Trainee Buyer
Trainee Buyer
38 hours/week | Zwaagdijk
At Action, we believe the best way to learn is by doing. As a Trainee Buyer, you’ll gain practical buying experience in an international retail environment while being coached by experienced professionals. You’ll help buy our products, work with teams across the business, and develop your commercial skills step by step. Based at our headquarters in Zwaagdijk, with opportunities to travel abroad, this role puts you right at the center of our commercial success
Our Buying traineeship
Our traineeship is an 18-month, hands-on programme designed to help you grow fast. From day one, you’ll learn on the job and gain real buying experience, supported by experienced colleagues who are keen to share their knowledge.
You’ll receive personal coaching from a commercial leader and follow targeted training sessions that help you develop both professionally and personally. Together, we’ll create a personal development plan that fits your ambitions and strengths.
Along the way, you’ll build a strong professional network within Action and work closely with other trainees. You’ll learn from each other, challenge each other, and grow together - setting a solid foundation for your future career at Action..
Your Daily Tasks
As a Trainee Buyer, you’ll be part of our International Buying team and actively help select the products that end up on our shelves. You’ll work on purchasing items within one of our 14 categories, such as food & drinks, decoration, toys or personal care—products seen by millions of customers every week.
Together with buyers, buying assistants and teams like Supply Chain, Product Technology and Marketing, you’ll help create the best possible balance between price, quality and sustainability, while making sure products are available when customers need them.
You’ll visit suppliers, follow market trends and spot new opportunities. From buying new products to improving existing ones, you’ll contribute to better quality, lower costs and more sustainable choices. Thanks to the large volumes we buy, your work will have real impact— for example by helping to reduce packaging.
You’ll also develop your analytical skills by working on deep dives into your category, identifying trends and future opportunities. Through weekly financial and commercial analyses, you’ll help define focus areas that drive growth and improve performance.
Meet Your Team
Curious about Buying at Action? You’ll join a dynamic, international team of more than 30 professionals who play a key role in Action’s success across Europe. Together, we shape our product assortment and introduce over 150 new products to our stores every week.
As a team, we’re responsible for creating an affordable, sustainable and well-balanced assortment of around 6,000 products. Entrepreneurship and customer focus drive everything we do. Whether you’re planning, buying or analysing, your contribution will really matter.
And the best part? As Action continues to grow, so will you. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to develop yourself, take on new challenges and build your career. Join our energetic, supportive team and help surprise millions of customers across Europe- every single day.
About you
You have an entrepreneurial and commercial mindset and some relevant commercial experience. You enjoy negotiating and securing the best deals, and you have strong written and verbal communication skills. You are analytically strong, financially responsible, and confident enough to close major deals. You stay on top of trends and enjoy pursuing opportunities both locally and internationally.
In addition, you have:
- A bachelor’s degree
- Some commercial experience
- 1–3 years of work experience
- Strong spoken and written English skills
- Digital skills, including experience with Excel and knowledge of AI
What we offer
Surprisingly much! From our lively headquarters in the Netherlands, you’ll make an impact across Europe. We now have over 3,300 stores in 15 countries and millions of happy customers, with ambitious growth plans for both Action and your career.
As Action grows, so do your opportunities—new roles, exciting projects, and chances to develop new skills. All within a culture shaped by our shared values: customer focus, teamwork, simplicity, discipline, cost-consciousness, and respect.
Our international headquarters is located near Amsterdam, in Zwaagdijk, and is home to colleagues of more than 125 nationalities.
Here’s what else you can expect:
- A competitive salary based on a 38-hour workweek
- 24 vacation days, with the option to buy 5 extra days (based on a full-time contract)
- 15% staff discount on Action purchases
- A solid pension plan and collective health insurance
Our Contribution to Society
If you only know Action from our stores, there’s much more happening behind the scenes. We actively work to make a positive impact on society and the environment. For example, we sponsor over 2,500 children through SOS Children’s Villages worldwide.
Our workforce reflects our diverse customer base, representing more than 125 nationalities. All our private-label chocolate is Fairtrade certified, and 100% of our cotton comes from the Better Cotton Initiative. Our trucks run on biofuel, with electric vehicles delivering goods in the Netherlands and Germany. We have also switched to LED lighting in all stores and replaced gas
heating with electric systems.
That’s Action. Want to learn more about our initiatives? Join us and see for yourself.
Interested?
We’re proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome everyone who fits the job description to apply. So take action and apply now!
The Recruitment Process
- We’ll respond to your application within 14 days (usually sooner)
- First interview with the manager and a colleague
- Online assessment to get to know you better
- Second interview, including your recruiter
- Welcome to Action!
Throughout the process, your recruiter will be your main point of contact for any questions you have.
We value integrity, so a pre-employment screening will be part of the process for this role. Ask your recruiter for more details.