We live in a world where everything we want can be at our fingertips in less time than it takes Granny Ina to take out her curlers.
Need a kettle? Steam in online. Search. Order. Lo and behold, a kettle arrives at your home.
Or maybe you still like to do your shopping the old-fashioned way – in person. You go to the shop, point to the kettle you want, take it home and stick it on for a cuppa. Result!
The point is, however you prefer to get your retail fix, a whole lot of monitoring and planning has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the product you want can be available when you want it.
And that’s the job of the retail merchandiser.
These pros are responsible for deciding which products a retailer will sell and how they are displayed to customers in stores and online.
Merchandisers work alongside the buying team to forecast trends and make sure products are in the right store or online shop at the right time.
Using their specialist knowledge, they plan stock levels and continue to monitor sales to ensure they’re doing as expected.
They will also be involved with decisions on pricing.
There is a lot of responsibility involved in the role. The more closely actual sales match the merchandiser’s predictions, the higher the profits for the retailer. Even great, on-trend products won’t sell if they have been priced too high. Sell them at too low a price, however, and the business could miss out on potential profits.
The delicate art of merchandising combines the worlds of psychology and customer behaviour with hard-headed business acumen and specialist market knowledge. Merchandisers are employed across the retail sector from fashion shops to supermarkets, from food processing to DIY stores.
While product knowledge can be a specialist area, it is possible to move between different areas of retail, which makes this a role that could take you to many different places.
You can enter merchandising with a business degree under your belt or you can work your way up from the shop floor. A love of retail and a good work ethic are essential.
While the internet is transforming the world of retail, merchandising continues to be an in-demand skill and it’s possible to rise quickly to senior level if you’re prepared to work hard.
Start your journey by casting your well-trained eye over the current Retail roles available at s1jobs.