How to Become a Merchandiser

The job responsibilities of merchandisers vary from point-of-purchase and inventory management to high-fashion merchandising. The range of your responsibilities includes buying and selling fashionable clothing, accessories, and industry-related products to marketing heavy-duty farm equipment. Fashion merchandising becomes incredibly competitive, and your responsibilities might extend to creating the best possible shopping experience for each product's target audience. Some of your responsibilities as a merchandiser include: 

• Coordinating shipments and deliveries from suppliers to multiple retail locations
• Maintaining healthy relationships with manufacturers, designers, and suppliers to meet deadlines
• Analyzing fashion trends and seasonal variances to anticipate buying habits
• Working with buyers, manufacturers, and distributors to negotiate prices, quantities, and delivery dates
• Developing sales strategies that balance company objectives with consumer expectations
• Producing layout plans for stores and maintaining a balanced level of inventory
• Removing badly selling items or putting slow-moving inventory on sale
• Forecasting sales, company profits, and budgets
• Remaining current with best practices like increased cleaning during the Covid-19 crisis

Some companies require their merchandisers to operate equipment for personalizing products like cutting tables, mats, laser engravers, sewing machines, and embroidery machines. Other equipment that merchandisers use includes mobile workstations, screen printing machines, and barcode scanners and printers. Software applications that merchandisers use include:

• Retail operations software
• Retail management applications
• Retail analytics software
• MockShop visual merchandising software
• Inventory management software
• POS systems

Merchandisers need physical stamina because you spend most of your work time moving products and arranging them on the sales floor and in the warehouse. Physical stamina enables merchandisers to lift heavy products and arrange them quickly and efficiently while often working around customers. Managers work in warehouses and retail operations where the environment is usually carefully maintained, but warehouses are often kept without sufficient heat and air conditioning for human comfort. Merchandisers who work for product vendors often spend most of their workday commuting between client stores. Most of them work full-time schedules, but work shifts vary and include evening and weekend hours. Many merchandisers are paid by the hour, and getting overtime is an effective strategy for earning more money.

Some part-time positions are available for merchandisers but working from home is not possible for most merchandising jobs. Some remote work allows workers to work and design at home and merchandise products on their own timetables. Some companies hire merchandisers to work on demand for different clients in temporary situations.

Your colleagues as a merchandiser include store managers, business owners, retailers, vendors, computer technicians, and retail sales associates. You have the opportunity to join any of several professional organizations to expand your network of colleagues and improve your network. These include:

• International Textile and Apparel Association
• American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists 
• American Association of Family and Consumer Science
• American Collegiate Retailing Association

Most merchandisers working for large companies work eight hours per day and 40-hour weeks. Many salaried merchandisers at smaller companies often work 70- or 80-hour weeks, especially during holidays and local celebrations. You usually have the ability to schedule time off except during busy retail times, but you should expect to work on major holidays. Larger companies offer merchandisers a choice of vacation time, but most merchandisers are needed for busy times like the Christmas marketing season, Easter, Mother's Day, and Father's Day.

Working at an entry-level retail position as a cashier or stocker will help you meet the two-year retail work requirement that many companies use to assess potential merchandiser candidates. After working two or more years in a professional retail environment, ask your supervisor about openings for merchandisers. If there aren't any available, begin searching elsewhere, including product vendor merchandising positions. You can bypass the work experience requirement by earning a certificate in retail merchandising from an accredited program. For example, Harper College offers a Retail Merchandising Certificate after completing and passing an 18-credit-hour course.

The skills and competencies needed as a merchandiser include communication skills at the top of the list because that's what the job primarily requires. Your main job is telling customers via written, verbal, and marketing content why your company's products rate serious consideration. The skills needed vary by industry and type of merchandising and include organizational skills, marketing skills, and some artistic/design ability. The following list from LinkedIn summarizes some of the most common skills and competencies required:

• Ability to make a favorable impression on suppliers and customers
• Mathematics ability to calculate quickly and accurately
• Decision-making skills
• Communications skills at the business level
• Persuasive abilities
• Ability to work as a team member
• Analytical ability
• Knowledge of the garment industry
• Basic computer skills and knowledge of office applications
• Self-motivation and work ethic

You have the ability to advance in your career or earn a higher salary by obtaining different certifications throughout your career. Some of the best certification programs include the following:

• National Association of Purchasing Card Professionals Certified Purchasing Card Professional
• Manufacturers' Representatives Educational Research Foundation Certified Sales Professional
• Electronics Transaction Association Computer Service Technician
• Promotional Products Association International Certified Advertising Specialist
• Zavata Certified Help Desk Manager

You can advance into a supervisory or management role after working about two years as a merchandiser. Most companies love to promote qualified candidates from within because they're already familiar with the company culture.

Retail sales associates earn $18.89 per hour, and customer service representatives earn $17.72 per hour. Hourly pay for merchandisers runs between $26 and $36 per hour.

You can be promoted from any retail job if you show an aptitude for marketing and organization. Normally, companies require two to four years of retail experience and some computer skills. An associate or bachelor's degree helps your prospects, and earning a certification in merchandising helps land you a job.

Applying for a job as a merchandiser is easy with Spherion. You can search for merchandiser jobs on Spherion.com by job title and location. If you can't find a job that seems right, you can submit an open application with Spherion. Doing so triggers a live response from a dedicated specialist who will research potential careers that match your goals and skills.