what is a merchandiser?
Retail merchandising is a very important job in the world of retail sales. A merchandiser works closely with buyers and makes many financial decisions regarding purchasing. As a merchandiser, you have the fast-paced job of projecting demands for certain products, working with buyers to purchase them, and even deciding on a budget for different products. You work with analysts, suppliers, distributors, and more on a regular basis, deciding how much to pay for different products and how many different lines of a product to buy. You will oversee merchandise deliveries and stock levels and work through any issues that arise with them. The most important tasks vary daily, as a big part of the job is ensuring popular stock stays on the shelf each day rather than getting sold out. This means one of your skill sets will be selecting the right amount of products at the right times.
merchandiser jobsaverage salary of a merchandiser
The average salary for Merchandiser is £35,349 per year in the London Area, according to glassdoor.
Level of education, additional certifications, and the number of years working in this profession will impact your actual annual salary. Some businesses require at least a bachelor's degree and two to four years of experience in the field in order for them to hire you. Continuing education and working to gain more experience will lead to increased pay. This also gives you a competitive advantage.
types of merchandisers
Your work options as a merchandiser include the following:
- Retail merchandising
- Visual merchandising
- Product merchandising
- Digital merchandising
- A combination of the above
All of these positions still include the process of predicting what products will sell the best. You also are in charge of positioning them in brick and mortar and retail storefronts in an attractive way, and you help decide on different promotions to run or how to market them in order to bring the products the most attention. Depending on the type of business, there is sometimes a need for several different types of merchandisers at one company. Alternatively, companies will need you to fulfil one or more of these roles.
- For more information on the role of a visual merchandiser, read our visual merchandiser job description.
working as a merchandiser
As a merchandiser, you have a variety of demanding responsibilities. You will work with many different people in order to study past sales and marketing history and learn what has worked well and what hasn't. As a merchandiser, you collaborate with buyers in stores as well as producers and suppliers of many products. You will even work with marketing teams, shift managers and store managers. This takes you into several different work environments and will include a mix of desk work and work that will have you on your feet. The work schedule is not typically flexible, so expect full-time hours each week. The career field of merchandising will remain a necessary part of the retail industry, so if this is a job you would enjoy and excel at, there is plenty of room for career longevity and even growth.
merchandiser job description
A merchandiser's primary responsibility is to study, analyse, and forecast market trends in order to make the best choices for retail products. Here are other duties you must carry out.
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collaborating with suppliers
Merchandisers are responsible for visiting with product suppliers and manufacturers and then working to negotiate with them for the best prices. There's a lot of collaboration that must take place to line up all of the working parts that are happening as stores decide what products to carry and how much of those products to stock.
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analysing data
You will also analyse sales data and other information and make projections about future sales based on the evidence and history so far. Merchandisers even work with other departments that have a part in the company's sales decisions. For example, you will work with those in charge of marketing and promotions. As your daily work includes studying marketing trends, consumer habits, and store layouts, you will play a vital role in helping to decide on the most effective ways to advertise products and sales promotions.
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presentations and meeting deadlines
Because part of your duties include analysing sales information, you will also be in a position that involves presenting reports on the growth and other changes taking place in the market. This is a demanding job as you will work up against strict deadlines and have to do a lot of coordinating between different groups of people.
work environment
The work environment of a merchandiser is not the same day after day. Some of your work will take place in an office setting. Part of your responsibilities will require that you make phone calls and send and receive emails as you communicate with buyers, suppliers, and other people you collaborate with. This job also involves some traveling. You will visit suppliers to discuss production with them and work out the best pricing for your store or client. You will also visit stores in order to assess their store layouts and how their customers are responding to it. This will help in your decision making about the most attractive way to advertise products and promotions on them.
work schedule
As a merchandiser, you will work a typical full-time work week. Normally, you will work a regular nine-to-five schedule, Monday through Friday. Since the job will sometimes require that you travel, though, you will occasionally have an irregular day. It's also possible that some weeks will be busier than others. Busier days will often require overtime hours. This is mostly if there are issues with suppliers that you have to facilitate finding solutions to and during the busy holiday shopping seasons when stores are offering more sales and promotions.
job outlook
According to prospects "It's possible to start at the bottom and work your way up without a degree, although progression will be slower. Within buying you’ll typically start as a buyer's admin assistant or trainee assistant buyer before progressing to assistant buyer and then on to a buyer job.
It's a similar story for merchandisers - you could start as a merchandising admin assistant and progress to assistant merchandiser before applying for merchandiser jobs.
With significant experience it's possible to climb the ladder to become a buying controller or merchandising director."
education & qualifications
According to prospects "Roles are open to graduates of all disciplines but business, fashion, finance and retail-related subjects are particularly relevant.
For example, for the BSc Fashion Buying and Merchandising course at The University of Manchester you'll need to achieve AAB at A-level for entry. The programme takes three years to complete, four with an industrial placement. Core course modules include 'Raw Materials for Fashion', 'Management and the Apparel Pipeline', 'Fashion Buying and Merchandising', 'Fashion Business and Analysis' and 'Buying Strategy'.
To expand on the knowledge and skills gained in your undergraduate study, or if your previous degree was in an unrelated area, you may consider a Masters degree. Postgraduate study is not essential but it may give you an edge.
For entry on to most courses you'll need a good first degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent. However, some institutions may accept those with a 2:2."
A degree in any of the following will increase your chances of getting hired:
- Business
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Economics
- Computer science
- Statistics
- Retail management
A degree will also give you a great skill set to propel your career, especially with the knowledge you gain in any of those subject areas. This knowledge will help you excel in your career as a merchandiser.
skills & competencies
To be a merchandiser, you will need experience in marketing. Your training will need to have included learning about marketing trends and consumer-buying habits. Experience working in the field will also lend to that knowledge, which will help give you the ability to forecast expected trends in the market. This knowledge will help you choose products wisely. As the market trends are always changing, though, you will also need to work well under pressure. This may require you to study, understand, and cater to these changing trends.
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analytical skills
As a merchandiser, you will need to be competent working with numbers, analysing them to see the trends, and then use that data to plan for future product orders and stocking. This also requires that you pay attention to details, not only in the data but in store layouts, advertising that works, and other details that create a good shopping experience for consumers.
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communication skills
In addition to these skills, you will also need to be a good communicator. This job consists of working with other people, like buyers, suppliers, and stores. Some of your work will involve writing emails and making phone calls, but other work will include visiting storefronts and suppliers and working with them to make decisions.
FAQs
Here are the most asked questions about working as a merchandiser.
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What does a merchandiser do?
A merchandiser is an integral part of the retail industry. You coordinate with buyers, suppliers, and other analysts to make daily decisions about what products to purchase, how much of them to stock, and when to make those purchases. Studying data and making educated guesses about the best products to carry, and then working with suppliers to get the best prices is a big part of the job.
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Is merchandising a hard job?
Merchandising is not necessarily a hard job, especially for someone whose character traits lend well to the job's duties. If you like interacting with a variety of people each day, if you enjoy studying data and decision-making, and if you work well under the pressure of a deadline, merchandising is a job you will not find hard and will even love doing. Some people greatly enjoy the challenges and regular problem-solving opportunities that merchandising brings.
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What are merchandising skills?
Helpful skills for a merchandiser include being a good communicator, being a numbers person, and working well against deadlines. You will be coordinating with other people on a daily basis, so you must be able to communicate clearly and professionally. You need to be adept at studying numbers and data in order to make decisions for the future. You also will have deadlines you must meet, so you need to be able to work well with that pressure.
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What merchandiser means?
Merchandising is the process that takes place from the time a product is ordered until a customer buys it. Merchandising includes stocking and organising shelves, deciding on layouts and displays, and helping with prices, promotions, and other signage.
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What are the 5 R's of merchandising?
The 5 R's or rights of merchandising are the:
- Right merchandise
- Right place
- Right time
- Right quantity
- Right price
These 5 R's provide a good summary of the responsibilities and daily decisions you will make in your job.
working with randstand as a merchandiser
If you have ever walked into a store and admired the setup and you were curious about the process that went into the display — the products and the prices — then merchandising is a good career field for you. As a merchandiser, you will be able to work with other people to influence the process of putting specific products on particular shelves at just the right price and time. You will be able to step back and admire your work and how the consumer responds to it.
