Fashion Merchandising Management
This is an interesting career option for those who are eager to work in an environment of modern fashion business. Fashion designing, although not an integral part of the course, primarily contains dealings with retail, finance, administrative, and managerial tasks associated with the business. The fashion industry is ever flourishing with introduction of new styles every season, that gives a boost to the growth of industry. The glitz and glamor mainly attracts people towards the fashion biz, but merchandising entails a lot of hard work, communication and entrepreneurial skills for establishing oneself successfully and increasing productivity of the organization.
Fashion Merchandising Management An Overview
Fashion shows organized in every part of the world as well as retail stores are managed with the help of merchandisers. All the areas of fashion are coordinated by them and product development is an important criterion of the job. In the field of production, they must possess superb public relation skills and understand sales work for developing plans and marketing the products. Their innovative skills are best explored during product development. Fashion merchandising management jobs also entail advertising, styling products, displaying them and setting up business through e-commerce. All these responsibilities are associated with management of business for maximum sale of products and success of fashion shows. Communication with media and traveling for propagation of business are some other responsibilities that merchandisers have to take care of. In this regard, they have to contact the media for recognition of their products through the medium of magazines, advertisements, promotion and other strategies.
Since merchandising managers are directly involved with the business, they have to analyze the fashion trends and predict them accordingly so that products are developed that are at par with the standard of the industry. They have to use their knowledge in a skillful manner for new product development by attending fashion shows from where they can get some worthy ideas. Students pursuing fashion merchandising courses are often allowed to do so during internships. Dealing with suppliers is also a key responsibility of fashion merchandisers. The layout of retail stores, placement of products and other aspects related to store displays and visual merchandising are some important concerns that boost up sales. Thus, you can well assume that merchandising is way different from fashion designing. All these skills will be imbibed only while working as a professional.
The prospects of fashion merchandising is not very high even though numerous schools are conducting specialized programs in this regard. Merchandising is a diverse field and your performance matters the most. The basics of the course and theories are taught at schools through which you derive a complete knowledge about your work. Holding a dual degree in merchandising management and apparel engineering has an added advantage because you can become a designer with combination of these two degrees. Fashion merchandising graduates who have passed from reputed fashion schools and have undergone internships are sometimes recruited at managerial positions. You can also start your own business or boutique houses if your skills have been honed with considerable knowledge in business. The progress might be slow initially but with proper entrepreneurial and management skills you can definitely make good deal of money by expanding your business.
On the flip side, if we compare the job outlook of freshers, the standard of industries with the salary structure of fashion merchandisers, then it's not very lucrative. In this extremely competitive world, only well established fashion houses are well paying. The demand of merchandising professionals are considerably low when compared with the number of applicants. However, people who are aspiring to become fashion merchandisers should not be demotivated because when you have talent, you will definitely shine. The pay scale might be low in the beginning but once you gain experience you can definitely apply for higher post having decent pay.
Get yourself enrolled in a reputed fashion school and bring out the best within you for getting placed in a renowned fashion house. Improve your skills and potentials to give an edge to yourself in every aspect.
