A buyer for a
store is the person who shops the various showrooms (the market) and selects items that is suitable to sell
in the store. Easy – right? Well, there are many, many factors to each decision both financial
and practical. Much of the buyers’ job is also about analysis of past sales figures. Between the
two – choice of garment/item and analysis of what will or will not sell based on history decisions are reached.
Still look easy? HMMM…Then there is timing and coordination with the other departments in the store. What is
timing? Timing is when the merchandise needs to be in the store, not just in the store
but ON the selling floor. The manufacturer has to have the perfect item in the perfect color, at the perfect
time so that it gets onto the selling floor at the same time as the coordinating merchandise from the other departments.
The selection of merchandise is just the easy part, and this too is not necessarily what YOU like
but what YOUR CUSTOMER likes. And how in the world could you know that? And how many customers do you have?
Hopefully thousands! And they will all like the same thing? Believe it or not, there is consensus of likes
and dislikes from groups of similar customers otherwise known as a target market. My business
was successful because I loved the analysis aspect of it! I would work, and rework the sales numbers ever which way. Eventually
you begin to see a pattern of your customer. This does not happen quickly, but over time.
Buyer’s job functions are very similar from one company to another. The department structures however can be
very different.
If you want to be a buyer, you should be good with numbers and paperwork,
yes that means follow through. You should be good with identifying a trend, and develop a greatly relationship
with your salespeople from your market.
Next month we will be highlighting what it is like to be
an owner of your own line of clothing – by our very own Lisa!
