Fashion merchandising is what drives the business of fashion.
Fashion merchandisers are the people who try to make fashion so appealing that a potential customer is inspired to buy whatever the fashion merchandiser is trying to sell them.
Combining the art of fashion and the science of business, fashion merchandisers show the public what’s in style. This helps brands increase revenue by convincing potential customers to buy their products.
So what is fashion merchandising?
Why Fashion Merchandising is Important
Fashion merchandising is important because it is what builds up a fashion brand.
Namely, fashion merchandisers choose how a brand presents itself to potential customers and are responsible for maintaining that image. This image allows a brand to build a reputation and increase its revenue, driving the industry of fashion.
What Do Fashion Merchandisers Do?
A fashion merchandiser’s professional duties may include:
- Attending fashion shows
- Predicting future fashion trends
- Analyzing past and present fashion trends
- Creating and executing marketing campaigns
- Buying inventory
- Researching potential customer demographics
- Negotiating with suppliers
- Directing manufacturing
- Designing store displays
- Coordinating the relationship between different teams such as design and sales
- Developing a budget and enforcing it
- Enticing customers to buy products
Working in fashion merchandising can mean working in a variety of places like a retail store, corporate office, and a trade show.
You may also work on a number of different brands and products or specialize in one specific area. You can choose to work for yourself by opening up your own store, for a retailer, or for a textile manufacturer. Fashion merchandisers can work with clothing for men, women and children, as well as accessories, cosmetics, jewelry, and shoes.
If you want to work in fashion merchandising, you could have a number of different job titles such as:
- Fashion director
- Retail store manager
- Merchandising manager
- Fashion buyer
- Marketing representative
How Do I Become a Fashion Merchandiser?
Education
While an associate’s degree may be sufficient for some careers, for many fashion merchandising jobs you should consider getting a bachelor’s degree in a field such as fashion merchandising. Some people go on to earn a master’s degree after working for a few years.
Practical Experience
Fashion merchandising can be an extremely competitive field, so you should get all of the work experience that you can such as retail jobs, internships, and volunteer experience.
This practical knowledge can help you learn to apply your classroom strategies to real-life situations.
Work Toward a Career in Fashion Merchandising Today
If you are interested in working as a fashion merchandising professional, a great way to get started is to gain an understanding of the fundamentals of this field. This could help you determine your focus within the field and could even help you take your first step toward success in the field.
Stratford Career Institute’s online Fashion Merchandising And Design Distance Learning Course is a convenient and affordable place to begin your studies.