If you prefer working in the fashion industry, fashion merchandising is a lucrative career option for you. This Buzzle article discusses the job profile and salary prospects of this profession in brief.
Generally, fashion merchandisers make more money than fashion designers. However, they need higher education to secure employment. The profession requires decisiveness and thorough knowledge of fashion industry trends.
Fashion merchandising is a booming career choice for people who love to spend time in shopping fashionable clothing. In retail business, fashion merchandisers contribute a lot in deciding the products as well as their pricing. It is all about impressing the customers with creative skills and displaying the items in a pleasing way. In fact, behind the unique display of garments and accessories in a successfully running boutique, you will find a fashion merchandising expert.
The field of fashion merchandising is very diverse. Based on individual preferences, one can focus on fashion clothing, jewelry, accessories, or all of them. With experience, the job responsibility of a fashion merchandiser also changes. For example, a visual merchandiser gets promoted to buyer assistant, and then, to senior merchandiser. Accordingly, the merchandising salary range varies. Taken at a glance, the average salary package in the related industry is highly competitive.
Salary
As mentioned already, the salary range of a fashion merchandising expert may vary, based on the position and assigned responsibilities in the company. Like any other job profile, there are certain aspects that are taken into consideration for determining a fashion merchandiser’s salary. Factors like geographic location, size of the company, personal experience, and achievements matter a lot in this profession. In general, senior merchandise buyers earn the highest in the industry. After gaining practical experience, a fashion merchandiser can also take classes in private institutes and fashion design schools. Fashion merchandiser professionals can choose from a number of fashion merchandising careers which include Fashion Retailer, Window Dresser, Store Manager, Fashion Advertising Agent, etc. They can get professionally certified through various organizations, including the American Purchasing Society. There are certificate/diploma programs as well as degree programs which can help them achieve their goal.
➺ According to PayScale, the annual salary range for fashion merchandising (buyers with Bachelor of Science degree) is USD 42,282 – USD 99,362. It is USD 37,222 – USD 47,169 for assistant buyers.
➺ According to Indeed, the average annual salary of a Fashion Merchandising Manager in New York / San Francisco is $51,000, while in Chicago, it is $45,000. The salary range for retail store manager is $25,168 – $69,531.
➺ According to Indeed, the average annual salary of a Marketing Management Fashion Merchandiser is $56,000. Thus, the salary depends on your post (experience), location, and job duties.
➺ A big company located in a big metropolitan city like New York can offer higher salaries.
➺ According to Simply Hired, the average fashion merchandising salary falls somewhere around USD 47,000.
➺ According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents was $60,550 in May 2012. The data also shows that the lowest 10% earned less than $34,990, while the top 10% earned more than $110,050. Employment for these professionals is projected to grow 4% from 2012 to 2022.
➺ Some organizations do give bonus, and provide medical benefits to their employees.
Job Description
Working as a fashion merchandiser is interesting, but challenging as well. Deciding what the clients want is a prime job of the merchandiser. One has to remain up-to-date with the latest fashion trends and the demand in the glamor industry. He or she should have a good knowledge about fabrics, textiles, clothing history, shoes, and other appearance-related items such as jewelry and sunglasses. And to be an expert in the field of fashion merchandising, understanding fashion vogue along with business management is mandatory. You should have various skills and talents such as strong, artistic, creative, and imaginative skills, an eye for style and color, and exceptional marketing, advertising, and promotional skills, etc. Believe me, the job opportunities are great for experienced candidates.
With the increased interest in fashion merchandising as a career, lots of institutes that offer courses in the same have sprang up in the last few decades. Those who want to make a career in this field should possess a bachelor’s degrees in business, marketing, or fashion. They can enter the field as assistant buyers. While working under the supervision of an experienced buyer, they get a chance to understand the customers and also to know the expectations of the store or chain for which they are working.
As per the hiring organization, the job profile of a fashion merchandiser may include negotiating and buying fashionable apparel from other sources, arranging them in a proper way, keeping stocks, advertising, and marketing the items indirectly. Merchandisers utilize business knowledge and organization skills to select products, and create displays that are likely to turn a profit. In order to start with, working in retail stores and boutiques as a salesperson is a good idea.
If you are very passionate about fashion and style, a career in fashion merchandising is perfect for you. First enroll yourself in one of the best schools in your area, and obtain a Bachelor’s degree in fashion/sales related field. To catch up with the latest fashion and style, you can attend fashion shows and major events. As you see, salary is largely based on your personal skills, experience, and how well are you justified with your profile. With experience and personal credentials, you can surely demand for a higher income. On the concluding note, talented candidates with good entrepreneur skills have good career prospects in the fashion merchandising field.