If you are thinking about a fashion merchandising career, there are plenty of opportunities to move up in the industry. Plus, you’re sure to learn new skills at all the different fashion merchandising jobs that are out there.
It is a constantly growing industry with plenty of room for personal development as well. If that sounds like something you are interested in, this lucrative career could be perfect for you.
Fashion Merchandising Careers [Watch the Video!]
Let’s take a look at the top opportunities in fashion merchandising.
Retail
A Retail Store Manager is in charge of all operations in a retail store.
A retail store manager’s job is to ensure smooth daily operations and that the store meets its sales goals. Managing employees is a large part of the job. They work on the store budget and report to senior management. Top retail store managers need a thorough understanding of fashion merchandising. They know the market and excel at practices that attract customers and balance inventory.
As a retail store manager, you would also be in charge of making sure the inventory you buy is being sold in a timely manner. So having a strong knowledge of fashion merchandising is important. Retail managers need to understand what customers want so they can meet their sales goals. Knowing what your customers want includes knowing what is popular during that season as well as predicting what the next fashion trend will be.
Fashion Buyer
Work as a Fashion Buyer is great for those with the skills to predict fashion trends and negotiate.
They observe industry trends then work with designers at trade shows and in showrooms to choose and stock the latest fashions. Their buying decisions directly impact the business. A fashion buyer builds their skills working in a retail store or as an assistant to a buyer.
Once you become a fashion buyer, you will be the one making the final call on what makes it to stores. If you think a certain item will be popular and could sell well, then you decide to keep it in stock. At a smaller fashion store, the fashion buyer often oversees the entire inventory stock of the company. However, at a larger fashion retailer, the fashion buyers typically only oversee one product type like the jewelry or furniture sections.
Sales Manager
Showroom Sales Managers are relationship builders.
They work with fashion buyers, selling them products to carry in their stores. Showroom sales managers supervise showroom employees, provide customer service, and share product knowledge. Employers look for those with previous retail experience and excellent people skills.
As a sales manager, you will work directly with fashion merchandisers and other customers to ensure that they are able to stock their inventories with the products they want. In this role, you help oversee the wholesale side of the fashion industry. You need to have an intimate knowledge of the products your company sells in order to show the fashion buyers why those products will do well in their respective stores.
Product Development
Those with a good grasp on the technical aspect of fashion design and a knack for communication may seek a career as a Product Development Manager.
In this role, you are in charge of developing new fashion lines. You lead a team of product development workers and ensure products follow industry trends and standards. Your projects must also hit deadlines on time and on budget. This is a fun fashion industry job for the more technical minded.
A fashion merchandising career as a product development manager can be tough but rewarding. You are responsible for developing some of the best products available. If the products you develop sell well, you can have a long successful career managing a product development team. The products your team makes will go in showrooms to be sold by your retailers. So creating incredible products is of the utmost importance.
Visual Merchandising
Visual Merchandising Artists are responsible for the look that helps sell the products.
They use design software to create pleasing designs for storefronts, online stores, and catalogs. A good merchandising artist captures the customer’s attention. Creative types with an eye for detail seem to love this type of work.
Visual merchandising artists need to have a strong ability to create unique ways of selling products. They also handle how the company displays product information, the boxes and labels that come with the products you sell, and designs in the store that will draw a customer’s attention to a certain display or product.
Marketing
Another great area for creatives is Fashion Marketing.
Here, marketers create and analyze branding and marketing campaigns. They forecast trends and recommend strategies based on customer response to new products. They work on print and digital marketing campaigns, new product branding, and sales. Those entering this niche usually have a bachelor’s degree and start out as an assistant.
Account Executive
Have you worked in retail and found you excel in sales? Then you may aspire to be an Account Executive.
Executives sell and promote brands to stores through media outlets and advertising agencies. They oversee print and digital marketing campaigns from beginning to end. They may work with a single small brand and sell only to large chain stores or promote many markets.
Fashion Direction
Another great option for leaders is a job as a Fashion Coordinator/Director.
This job oversees the daily functions of entire fashion design departments. They coordinate advertising and marketing alongside the account executive. They know and understand the industry, have great networking and communication skills. They have vision and leadership.
Fashion Merchandising Job Outlook
The fashion industry market value is about 406 billion dollars every year, making the fashion industry market share about 4 percent.
The value of the entire global fashion industry is 3 trillion dollars and this accounts for nearly 2 percent of the entire world’s gross domestic product. For these reasons, the fashion merchandising job outlook is very promising.
As the fashion industry continues to expand into new markets and fashion itself continues to evolve, there are constantly new opportunities and ways to have a successful fashion merchandising career. Along with these new trends and opportunities in the fashion industry, there will also be new jobs.
Are You Interested in a Career in Fashion?
Careers in fashion merchandising and design can be fun and challenging. Fashion industry professionals are constantly learning through continued education and experience. Everyone starts at the beginning, even retailers and famous designers had to learn the basics of the industry and their way up.
Stratford Career Institute can teach you the basics in their Fashion Merchandising and Design online course. You will learn the foundations of design, styling, textiles, colors, publicity, production and administration. This course can give you an excellent foundation to pursue a career in fashion merchandising.
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