Usual Work Day Hours for a Fashion Merchandiser
By now, you lot probably know that by day I'm a manner merchandiser for Perry Ellis. And you should also know that I absolutely LOVE what I do. I get a lot of questions about what I practice on a day-to-day basis, so I thought I'd give you a REAL look at what I do between the hours of 9AM and 6PM as a fashion merchandiser.
I'm splitting this serial into five parts and posting once a week for five weeks. Since these are going to be more lengthy, I don't want to overwhelm you with a lot of text and merchandising lingo. So allow's get right into information technology – A Week in The Life Of a Manner Merchandiser!
Every bit a footling bit of background: I decided to brainstorm documenting what Iactuallypractise on a solar day-to-day basis during a busy, busy week for me and my team. Our Sales squad just finished wrapping upwards market appointments, and at present it'southward time to meet with Sales, Planning and Sourcing teams to go through the buys. This is a really important time for my team considering nosotros become to run into what was actually purchased for Summer 2018. In reality, my job every bit a Way Merchandiser goes way beyond what I'm going to be sharing with you.
Before jumping into today, I was recently asked how much of my Fashion Merchandiser job is creativity vs. numbers based, and I'd have to say information technology'south a fiddling scrap of both.
Why? Because my squad works with SO many other teams to ensure we're putting out the all-time products for our customers. A Fashion Merchandiser works so closely with Design to make sure we're coming upwardly with a line that is cohesive and represents our brand. We work with Marketing to make sure labels/trims/hang tags are appropriate and call out any special properties. And nosotros work with Sales to give advice on what we think their assortments should look like based on design direction. Every bit Merchandisers, we know what colors, styles, patterns take done well for us in the past and need to brand certain we're pushing the envelope when it comes to new product. On the other (numbers) hand, my team is responsible for the SKU count each season: We make sure we are not over-or-under developing product categories. My squad is as well in charge of making sure we aren't going too crazy with the budget – then I have to make note of sample, development and liability charges for all of our lines (Collection, Track, 360 Active). And finally, my team is responsible for maintaining internal margins. That means nosotros need to ensure that the price of our product isn't too high compared to our wholesale so that ya know, we make a turn a profit.
Not to toot our own horn hither, simply Merchandising basically is the gum that holds every team together to ensure we're working as ane;) Nosotros're pretty cool.
Okay, so let's get to DAY 1 IN THE LIFE OF A FASHION MERCHANDISER!
MONDAYOf course I'chiliad running late. It's Monday, ugh. Simply that's okay. I'm lucky enough that I don't need to be at work "exactly" at 9AM, and so I still had time to grab some Starbucks and oatmeal. I knew I was going to need it to kick off the week on a skillful foot.
This week is the showtime of a busy, busy next two weeks. At present that (near) market appointments are over, we need to sort through buys. Basically, "market week" is never just a week. The prep work is all finished – my team made sure Sales has everything they need to get their accounts to place orders. Sales did their job, and now nosotros come together with a few other teams to be on the same folio equally far as what was purchased and so proceed into production.
So on this Monday morning, we go into our first ATS coming together. An ATS meeting is when Merchandising, Sourcing, Sales, and Planning come together to get through mode by style and see what account bought which product.
We go through every detail of every style: Does it need to change fit? What about sleeve length? Should we up the wholesale or retail? Do we have plenty units to cover minimums? Does International want to volume this likewise? How's our internal margin expect? These are some of the typical questions that come up up during our review of the line.
As a Way Merchandiser, it's my job to nowadays each style to everyone and become through these details. Nosotros make sure Sales feels supported based on the feedback given from accounts, make sure Planning has all of the information fix in their system, and make whatever necessary notes that we might accept to relay dorsum to Design. This particular ATS meeting was for bottoms, jackets, and outerwear categories. Information technology went a little shorter than usual considering Summer market isn't a large time menstruation for this type of product. Which makes sense, correct? Not too many guys are buying outerwear pieces or are looking to go a new suit. Summer is definitely a more coincidental flavour.
Since ATS didn't get the unabridged day, I was able to become back to my desk and begin going through emails. Most of my advice is done with our overseas offices, so I usually come into the office with a ton of emails. Luckily, I got to them all earlier tiffin. Before I footstep out to get tiffin, I grab up on some web log work: answering emails, going through social media, and responding to whatsoever necessary messages. I check in on weblog related work whenever possible – without existence distracted from my actual piece of work.
During market, it's ever tough to remember that the show nonetheless goes on. So while I'thousand worrying virtually making notes and updates from the ATS coming together, a million other things are happening. On this particular 24-hour interval, I was also tasked with finding an extremely old best seller pant reference from 2014. None of our offices had a reference of it, and all we had was a random photo we constitute online. UNTIL…my bottoms/jackets/outerwear (aka BJO) designer found a development sheet with a cutting of the fabric on it! SWEET. One less thing I had to worry about. Phew.
While we're wrapping upward Summer 2018, we're in the process of designing Holiday/Resort 2018. Equally a Fashion Merchandiser, it'southward our job to ensure calendar dates are met so that we can get samples in on fourth dimension. The Holiday/Resort timeline is always and then catchy, so my team actually needs to stay on acme of everyone when information technology comes to timing.
Thankfully, I finished all of my work by 6PM, so I don't need to stay tardily to wrap things up!
Stay tuned for side by side week'sWeek In The Life Of A Style Merchandiser: Part 2!
photo by allie provost
full outfit post hither
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