Retail Merchandiser

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £60,000

Typical Hours

36 to 38 a week

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Retail Merchandiser

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
completing private industry-recognised training

College / University

You can do a degree before joining a retail company as a trainee merchandiser. Relevant subjects include:

marketing
fashion buying and merchandising
fashion and business
retail business management

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You can take a college course to become a retail merchandiser. Courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Understanding Retail Operations
Level 3 Diploma in Fashion Retail
Level 3 Certificate in Procurement and Supply Operations

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to start through a retailer intermediate apprenticeship or retail team leader advanced apprenticeship before moving into merchandising.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start in stock control or as a merchandise admin assistant and work your way up by learning on the job.

Other Routes

If you're interested in fashion retail, you could do a short course like an introduction to merchandising.

You can also take procurement and supply qualifications through the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply. These are recognised by the industry.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
to be flexible and open to change
the ability to sell products and services
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
customer service skills
excellent verbal communication skills
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties might include:

planning product ranges and stock plans with buyers
planning budgets, forecasting sales and profit margins
presenting forecasts to managers
visiting manufacturers with retail buyers to learn about production cycles
negotiating prices and orders with suppliers, and agreeing delivery terms
tracking stock deliveries, making sure goods arrive on time and meet quality standards
setting prices and sales targets for individual stores
helping visual merchandisers to plan store layouts to promote key lines
promoting special offers and marketing initiatives
analysing sales figures and trends
staying aware of how competitors are performing
identifying and sorting out production and supply problems
managing, training and supervising staff

Working Environment

You could work at a store or in an office.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a retail merchandiser from the Fashion Retail Academy.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.