Merchandiser Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a merchandiser. Feel free to use our merchandiser job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a merchandiser.
Who is a Merchandiser?
Merchandising is a term that relates to the processes by which things are sold to consumers. A person or business involved in this field acquires a product from a producer and then sells it to consumers. A merchandiser might employ a variety of strategies to persuade shoppers to purchase the things he or she is selling. Typically, it entails more than simply placing things on a shelf and hoping they are purchased.
The simplest definition of merchandising is that it is the process through which a thing is sold. From the moment a product is created, a strategy for selling it is developed. This procedure includes the selection of packaging, colors, and slogans. Later in the process, considerations such as which stores will carry it, where the product will be positioned in the store aisles, and how the retail store will advertise the product become critical. Products must be readily visible if the store wants customers to purchase them.
A product will be marketed to a target audience or the individuals who are most likely to purchase the goods or services being supplied. This ensures that the appropriate product is offered in the appropriate location to the appropriate people at the appropriate time. It makes no sense to stock up on turkeys, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pies in July, but it makes sense in November in the United States when buyers are actively shopping for those items.
Children’s products are an excellent example of year-round retailing. Child-friendly products, such as cereals, crackers, and cookies, as well as other items, are arranged upon shelves at a height that a child can see and grasp. The packages are vibrantly colored and frequently feature cartoon characters. Toy stores often do not place a large number of things on difficult-to-reach shelves, as they want children to be able to see the entire selection of toys.
Merchandising is more complicated than simply determining where things should be placed on store shelves. It entails a great deal of forethought. If a business orders an item in excess, it may spoil or become out of style before it is sold out, resulting in a loss of money. If an item is ordered insufficiently, customers will purchase it elsewhere once the business has sold out, resulting in lost sales. To be successful in this sector, the seller must be informed about statistics, adept at math, and possess an eagle eye for detail.
There are numerous specializations in merchandising, each of which focuses on a certain form of merchandising strategy creation to maximize sales. These elements of merchandising take into account variables such as product availability, organization, pricing, and display. Merchandising efforts may involve actions such as providing samples, demos, or trials that enable potential buyers to try a product before committing to a purchase, which frequently encourages them to finish the sale transaction.
Responsibilities associated with various types of merchandising include the following:
- Digital merchandising
This focuses on the design of online strategies, from web page layouts to site speed. These merchandisers conduct research and devise tactics for businesses’ websites, email marketing, and social media platforms.
- Product merchandising
This is a term that refers to both in-store and online product sales with an emphasis on emphasizing product attributes. Store displays and product websites both have designs that stress a product’s worth in terms of what it may provide a potential consumer.
- Reset merchandising
This focuses on developing and rebuilding merchandising tactics to enhance or reach a new audience. This style of visual merchandising rethinks prior visual methods to build a new one.
- Retail merchandising
This occurs in physical retail establishments that act as a middleman between a producer and a consumer. This subcategory of merchandising is focused on promotional activities and events, such as store sales and other marketing efforts.
- Visual merchandising
This focuses on the graphic design and compositional elements of product presentation. This comprises enough lighting for product highlights, a proper layout of the floor plan, and banners or displays to attract potential buyers.
A merchandiser can work for a single retail outlet or a chain of locations. Merchandisers frequently process inventory data and make purchases for the store. Certain general merchandisers also supervise certain sales floor operations, such as product display creation.
Merchandisers are responsible for the merchandise of a single retail location or chain of locations. Additionally, they can collaborate with a sales department to forecast sales and order the appropriate quantity of products.
Merchandiser Job Description
Below are the merchandiser job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a merchandiser job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a merchandiser include the following:
- Arranging product displays in such a way that they capture the attention of store patrons
- Analyzing sales data and forecasting trends
- Assuring that retail locations have an adequate supply of merchandise
- Keeping track of and updating inventory data Meeting with vendors to discuss products
- Notifying their supervisors of product demand
- Keeping an eye on sales and discovering any errors or stock wastage
- Negotiating rates and placing big-volume orders with suppliers and distributors
- Collaborating with executives, marketers, and salespeople to establish market- and profit-friendly rates.
- Understanding the consumer base and their motivations and sales drivers
- Briefing workers on stock display and rotation to maximize the use of each space
- Conducting research and monitoring industry trends and customer behavior to forecast demand and shifts in purchasing habits
- Predicting market trends using sales data, consumer input, and market trends
- Evaluating the influence on sales numbers of various product displays and store layouts
- Collaborating with suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers to ensure that plans are carried out properly
- Promoting and organizing advertising campaigns
- Managing instructional materials for staff training
- Managing the store’s layout plans and inventory of products
- Collecting data on market trends and the reactions of customers to products
- Analyzing sales figures – identifying market growth, expansion, and change
- Maintaining communication with buyers, analysts, retailers, suppliers, and distributors
- Keeping a comprehensive collection of pertinent data on hand and collaborating closely with visual display
- Determining how merchandise should be exhibited to maximize sales, consult with personnel and department heads.
- Creating shop layout designs, commonly referred to as statements.
- Anticipating earnings and sales, and optimizing the volume and profitability of specific product lines.
- Developing budgets and sales predictions and numbers for new product lines are presented.
- Monitoring stock levels based on seasonal forecasts with specialized computer software, such as to manage sales information, generate sales projections, and present spreadsheets and graphs
- Ensuring that blockbusters realize their maximum potential by analyzing every aspect of them (for example, the bestselling price points, colors, and styles).
- Keeping an eye on competitors’ performance, monitoring slow sellers, and taking appropriate steps to cut pricing or institute promotions.
- Collecting data on customer reactions to products
- Analyzing past season’s sales and providing information about the current season’s lines
- Delivering financial information to high management
- Accompanying buyers on factory visits to learn about manufacturing processes
- Meeting with suppliers, and managing stock distribution by negotiating cost pricing,
- Ordering stock, agreeing on timeframes and delivery dates, and completing relevant paperwork.
- Identifying manufacturing and supply chain obstacles and resolving any issues or delays that develop
- Managing, training, and overseeing subordinate workers.
Qualifications
Education
Merchandisers must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent. Although postsecondary education is not needed for merchandiser employment, an employer may prefer to hire someone with an academic background. Most employers prefer merchandisers to have an associate’s degree, and courses in merchandising, economics, logistics or related subjects may provide prospects for growth in this career path.
Training
When merchandisers begin their careers, they often undergo a few weeks of on-the-job training. This training familiarizes the merchandiser with the store’s policies and items, as well as the inventory management software they will be utilizing. Employers seeking merchandisers generally prefer applicants with retail or merchandising expertise.
Certifications
Merchandisers are not required to hold any certifications. Numerous colleges, however, provide approved retail merchandising credentials that might aid a merchandiser in their career advancement. Depending on the specific profession for which a merchandiser is applying, having a valid license to operate a forklift may help them stand out during the hiring process. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers examinations and training to professionals in all industries who wish to obtain a forklift license.
Essential Skills
These are some abilities that may come in handy if you work as a general merchandiser:
- Communication skills
As a merchandiser, you may be required to communicate with a variety of different individuals while executing your job. You can speak with personnel of the sales department to ascertain the quantity of a particular product that a store may require, as well as sales floor representatives to arrange the products at a retail location. Additionally, you can communicate with sellers via email or arrange meetings to acquire things for your business.
- Product expertise
Merchandisers are in charge of purchasing and monitoring a retail store’s inventory. This may include being aware of the measures that need to be taken when carrying or storing the goods. Gaining a better understanding of the products sold by the company for which you work may help you move, store, and display your merchandise safely.
- Problem-solving skills
A merchandiser is responsible for the majority of the inventory of a store or chain of stores. This implies that they frequently resolve unforeseen issues such as vendor conflicts, broken merchandise, or concerns about the amount of inventory remaining in a store. Improving your problem-solving abilities may assist you in addressing these situations and resolving any inventory difficulties.
- Negotiation
Merchandisers frequently meet with vendors to discuss and purchase things for their retail location. When meeting with vendors, you may wish to discuss inventory pricing or the scheduling of product purchases. Enhancing your bargaining abilities may help you communicate more successfully with vendors about product specifications.
- Analysis
Among a merchandiser’s responsibilities is the use of sales data and inventory levels to forecast future sales. These forecasts can be used to determine the quantity of a given product to order for a retail business. Increasing your capacity to evaluate data and recognize patterns of behavior enables you to create more accurate forecasts, which may result in cost savings for the firm for which you work.
- Computer skills
As a merchandiser, you can utilize computer applications to track and monitor your retail store’s inventory. Additionally, you can use technology to assist you in estimating how much of a given product you may require over a specified time. Certain merchandisers may work on the sales floor on occasion, necessitating additional expertise in cash registers and point-of-sale technology.
How to Become a Merchandiser
To become a merchandiser, you can take the following broad steps:
- Completion of a high school diploma or its equivalent.
A minimum of high school education is required to work as a merchandiser. Without high school graduation, candidates may take the General Education Development (GED) test to achieve a nationally recognized credential comparable to a high school diploma.
- Earn an associate’s degree
Post-secondary education is not required to work as a merchandiser. Earning an Associate’s Degree in Retail Merchandising or a related subject of study, on the other hand, can help you stand out as a candidate and provide the groundwork for future advancement.
- Earn a certificate in merchandising
Earning a retail merchandising certificate from a recognized certification program will help you compete for merchandising roles earlier in your career and boost your earning potential in the merchandising business.
- Work in retail for some time.
Spend some time working in the retail industry as a stocker, cashier, or in other entry-level roles. The majority of merchandiser positions require at least two years of prior professional experience in retail.
- Assume the position of merchandiser
After a few years in an entry-level retail position, inquire with your supervisor about advancement opportunities to become a merchandiser. If your present employer does not have any openings, look for merchandising positions elsewhere. Along with merchandising employment with retailers, you may be interested in merchandising positions with product vendor companies.
Where to Work as a Merchandiser
Merchandisers work in a range of industries, including fashion, home services, and food retail.
Merchandiser Salary Scale
In the United States, the average annual salary for a Merchandiser is $33,952 per year.