The person who designs and implements merchandising displays in retail environments focused on the sale of clothing and accessories is known as an apparel merchandiser or fashion merchandiser. She may dress mannequins, design promotional graphics for in-store promotions, and create fashion-focused scenes in store windows.
This job usually entails a lot more than just merchandising. An apparel merchandiser is the person who is expected to predict fashion trends and incorporate her vision into the store’s inventory, and she is often the heart of the retail environment. Her job entails keeping up with the latest fashion fads and styles from around the world and ensuring that her store is the first to carry cutting-edge clothing and accessories.
When it comes to selecting new inventory, the apparel merchandiser is frequently consulted. She advises on ordering fabrics, colors, sizes, and styles based on her analysis of what’s in style, as well as local demographic style trends. When the seasons change, she is expected to have the most up-to-date information on what is fashionable and will generate the most revenue.
She is usually given more responsibilities as her reputation for accurate fashion predictions grows. Providing feedback on the store’s overall appearance, ways to market and sell slow-moving inventory, and adding or removing certain retail lines or designers are common examples. She may also be asked to assist in profit and loss tracking or to consult with management on personnel issues.
Apart from working in a retail store, apparel merchandisers can make good money working for fashion consulting firms, import and export companies, or for a beauty or fashion magazine. They could also work in related fields like textile and fabric purchasing, as well as apparel design and production. Many personal fashion consultants and professional window dressers have backgrounds in apparel merchandising.
To be successful in this position, you must have a keen eye for spotting the next fashion fad, but you must also have experience in more practical areas. Math skills, organizational abilities, and analytic aptitude are highly prized qualities. The ability to communicate effectively with executives, designers, and retail employees is critical for this position.
A two-year associate’s degree in fashion merchandising is required to work as an entry-level apparel merchandiser. A bachelor’s degree in marketing, apparel production, or fashion design is usually required to advance in your career. It’s a plus if you’ve worked in a retail setting before, especially if the job involved selling apparel or accessories. A large percentage of people who enroll in retail management trainee programs go on to work in apparel merchandising.