How to become an apparel merchandiser

What is merchandising

If you want to take up an apparel merchandising as a profession, you must first know what merchandising is? Merchandising is an English word that means buying and selling any product.  An apparel merchandiser is involved in buying and selling clothing items. Essentially, it refers to those who buy a product and then sell it later for some kind of income. To become an apparel merchandiser, one should possess proficiency in English language skills and computer knowledge for excellent communication and a good understanding of the product. Furthermore, you must have excellent cost calculation knowledge as an apparel merchandiser. You should know the current market, ensure reliable quality, and make prompt decisions.
Today, we will try to answer several questions in our article. What is merchandising? How many types of merchandising are there? What is the salary? How can you do merchandising courses? Or what help this site can provide you? We will attempt to answer all these questions.Today, we will try to answer several questions in our article.

What skills do you need to become an apparel merchandiser?

Let’s find out what qualities are required to become an apparel merchandiser by analyzing the characteristics of merchandisers.

M E R C H A N D I S E R

M mean= Managerial Capacity

E means= Efficient in both English correspondence and spoken

R means Regular in-office attendance

C means Confident in making the right decision

H means Honest life

A means Attitude always positive to solve any problems

N means Nice behavior for all buyers or seniors even though juniors

D means Devoted on won self

I mean IQ always needs to be sharp

S means Sincere works

E means Enthusiastic in nature and excellent in dealings

R means Regular in correspondence

If you want to establish yourself as a merchandiser, you must acquire these skills as you develop your qualifications.

What is the main task of an apparel merchandiser?

Apparel merchandising is a profession with a large work scope. A merchandiser in this sector must tackle various challenges. He must be capable of strong teamwork builder. For instance, a merchandiser must constantly visit different factories or sources in various types of garment industries. They inspect the products, their condition, color, type, and quality very closely and confirm the quality. They choose the preferred products and propose them to the buyers and aim to stimulate buyer interest in the proposed products. If the buyer agrees to the proposal, the buyer effectively manages everything from product planning, budgeting, selection, and packaging. Additionally, a merchandiser’s job is to improve the quality of a product and provide accurate product information. They also do hard work and produce a high-quality product.

What is the 5 R system for an apparel merchandiser?

We know that everything has its own rules but in apparel merchandising there are certain rules that you must follow. So if you are not careful, you will be in danger. Let’s find out what those rules are today. A merchandiser will work closely with a buyer and ensure that the product purchased will enable them to achieve their sales plan. And the 5 words to implement which is called 5 R system.

Fisrt R is Right Merchandise that’s means Styles, brands, colors, sizes etc.

Second R is Right placement which store, depending on their budget and location.

Third R is Right time which having merchandise in stores at the right time in the season that is ready for the mentioned deadline.

Forth R is Right Quantities: Enough for the stores to make their budgets but not have to market stock at the end of the season.

Fifth R is Right price, Those that will attract customers despite competition yet generate a reasonable return on investment for the retailer i.e. profit.

Why should you make a career as an apparel merchandiser?

The young generation dreams of doing something extra in life, and a career in apparel merchandising can help them reach their destination. Merchandising stands as one of the most interesting career areas in the RMG sector. Due to its quality, accountability, and good career growth, people regard this profession as the lifeblood of the RMG sector. Usually, a merchandiser carries out the most important functions in a garment factory/liaison office/buying house. He coordinates with practically every department in the organization. He performs work step by step and in parallel, from product development to sampling, costing, planning, communicating, coordinating, and sourcing. In short, a merchandiser completes the tasks necessary to fulfill an order.

How does an apparel merchandiser plan his operations?

Merchandisers are responsible for every task from start to end when a product is made to be delivered to the customer.  So they need to much sincere in their task & every task must be finished within a definite duration and requires appropriate planning. To be a successful apparel merchandiser, you must plan. Now we will learn how to make a proactive plan. Suppose you receive an order with a lead time of 60 days. So, divide these 60 days into the following sections and plan your activities accordingly.

Price negotiation.

Lab Dip collection & approval,

Proto & Fit sampling.

Materials sourcing.

Commercial task (Master l/C to Back to back)

Sample Yds collect & PP sampling

Commercial task (U.D)

Materials In-house.

Production Plan

Conducting PP meeting.

Production start & Inline Inspection

Final Inspection

Shipment

Styles closing.

How do making time and action plan an apparel merchandiser?

Image shows based on 60 days leadtime…..

In this blog, we have mentioned how to be a successful merchandiser, and to be successful one needs to complete one’s tasks regularly and well. Merchandising means purchasing the raw materials required for making garments such as fabrics, accessories, etc., and selling those garments after making them. There will be a necessary purpose for making clothes. But there must be a preplan on how to complete these tasks quickly and correctly. A merchandiser who can execute this plan correctly will be a successful merchandiser. Let’s see how that plan works.

Where we learn merchandising

So many institutions and universities are available to study merchandising. On the other hand, there are many online courses and privet institutions for short courses & diplomas also available.

Government & private institutions include,

BGMEA University of Fashion & Technology

Bangladesh Institute of Fashion & Design Technology.

Diploma in Apparel Merchandising

Career in the future as an apparel merchandiser in Bangladesh.

Choosing a profession is an important matter in career life. Presently one should choose a profession that has the opportunity to match the needs as well as oneself. The garment industry in Bangladesh is one of the growing industries. The garment industry is a major part of our economy. The World Trade Statistics Review 2023 report outlines the exports, market share, and growth of the top 10 apparel exporting countries. It can be seen that according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), apparel exports from Bangladesh touched a milestone last year reaching an all-time high of $47 billion, beating the previous record set in 2022 by about 10.27 percent.

Many brand companies are now thinking of opening their factories in Bangladesh. With the expansion of the garment industry, new job opportunities are also being created. As the garment industry is expanding, new opportunities to opt for merchandising as a career are increasing at a massive rate. With work experience, the salary is not low at all. Although the starting salary is 20 to 25 thousand rupees, depending on the experience and qualification, the salary of a merchandiser can take the salary amount to lakhs in one and a half years. Moreover, within four to six years, the salary along with other benefits reaches around two to three lakhs. Because of all these reasons, the profession of textile merchandising in Bangladesh has immense potential.

Author

Md, Abdul Aziz

Content writer

Source; Online