When most people hear the term ‘fashion merchandiser’, they think that it only refers to the notion of selling apparel, since the word ‘merchandiser’ is defined as someone who sells their goods. However, fashion merchandising is more than just selling clothes to consumers. It is a multi-faceted role involving a strong sense of fashion design, business acumen, vendor management, strategic sourcing, garment costing and more.
It would be best to think about the role of a fashion merchandiser as more like an umbrella with a wide scope across several areas. The fashion merchandiser will be required to be a planner, an optimizer and a manager that works closely with different vendors.
What’s more, it’s a fashion merchandiser’s responsibility to understand the needs of the brand in terms of securing materials required for production. This is why a keen understanding of fashion trends is important since it affects the materials that the company requires.
At the same time, budgeting and purchasing decisions are of utmost importance. Sourcing at the right prices will allow the company to generate maximum profits by keeping costs minimal, something that an effective fashion merchandiser would be able to accomplish skillfully.
Apart from calculating costs, maximising sales is crucial as well. How does a brand truly create a great product? Would selling at full price work? The fashion merchandiser plays a key role in making critical decisions along with these areas, thereby pivoting the team in the right direction.
With that in mind, in this article, we will take a look at everything you’d like to know about this specialisation. We’ll look at a fashion merchandiser’s responsibilities, essential skills and how you can upgrade your knowledge with the right offline or online fashion merchandising courses if you’re keen.
Are you ready to enter the world of fashion merchandising? Let’s go!