i want to become a fashion buyer but my college doesnt offer a fashion merchandise degree. i go to a csu and i am majoring in marketing. i dont want to go to a fashion school because if i change my mind on this career, i will be stuck and have to go to school all over again. my question is what education do i need to become a fashion buyer, what qualities do i need and how hard is it to become one? also how high is this position in the fashion industry??
lauren,
I don't know what your other answer is talking about. That is a "Personal Shopper", and has nothing to do with a career in "Buying".
You should be studying "Merchandising", "Advertising", "Orginizational Skills", "Display".
These are the four basic divisions of retail business.
Your question is about "Merchandising" and "Buying", but all those go hand in hand with one another.
Your marketing studies are related to making all that happen, from a small operation up to a large chain and /or a global business. Or your own business.
You may have a natural instinct for fashion, whether it be in Womens, Childrens, Mens, or all three. If not, this can be learned on the job and /or by reading Fashion Publications.
It's an ever changing field.
When it comes down to buying, it's not a simple matter of just selecting merchandise.
Planning must go into how much to buy for an opening season, reorders during the peak selling period, and getting out for the next season.
The most important thing one must do, is break down the entire selection of merchandise that will be carried in a store. This is the job of Top Management in a large orginization.
You will find that Divisional Managers are responsible for Divisions of a store.
The first two divisions are, Hard Goods and Soft goods.
These have no relation to each other, except as a Total Dollar Budget. Added together, makes up the total inventory of a business/department store.
I won't break all those down. Soft Goods, includes Fashion Merchandise, Womens, Mens, and Childrens clothing.
These three Divisions also have their own budget.
I'll only break down Womens Clothing into their Sub Divisions.
Outer Wear.
Dresses, Jeans, Slacks, Hats, Coats, Hosiery, Socks, Bathing, Wedding, etc. etc.
Lengerie
You know all the items.
Shoes
A whole business of it's own, with many sub divisions.
In each of these fields, and their Sub Divisions, plans must be layed out in Total Dollars, and each subsequent division must be planned and budgeted.
Then each item must be planned in units and dollars.
Within each item, colors and sizes must be planned.
All this is done for an entire season. Into one, and out, and into another, and out.
Spring.
Summer.
Fall.
Winter.
Plans for ,
Initial purchases.
Reorders.
Cut off.
All these have to be Flexible plans, as no one can be certain what will be Hot and Not.
An entire season is not purchased at one time.
All these must fit into a Fixed Budget of Total Dollars.
These are the things that you should learn in "Merchandising".
I'm not sure, sometimes, that schools teach all this.
Plans will include, Beginning Inventory, On Order, Ending Inventory.
With those figures available at any given time, Open to Buy can be determined and Purchases Made , or adjustments made as needed, up or down.
With all this information, one can go to Markets and purchase merchandise with some degree of accuracy, and stay within Budget.
So, you can see the procedure followed in order to become a "Fashion Buyer".
Follow your dreams.
Good luck.
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