Qualities and Responsibilities of Senior Merchandiser

Qualities and Responsibilities of Senior Merchandiser 

Muhammed Meeran
Worked at buying office
Attended Bharathiar University
Lives in tirupur, india
Email: mmeeran411@gmail.com

Introduction:

Merchandiser is the base of apparel industry; he/she should maintain a good relationship between buyer and factory. A senior merchandiser has to follow from order execution to dispatch of the goods. A good merchandising team will ensure the growth of a factory. As my merchandising career with according my job experience now I would like to discuss major qualities and responsibilities of a senior merchandiser in the apparel industry.

Qualities of Senior Merchandiser:

There are different qualities of a senior merchandiser. Combination of good qualities are essential for a senior merchandiser. Some major qualities of a senior merchandiser are as follow-

1. Textile knowledge:

Good textile knowledge is one of the major qualities of a senior merchandiser in the apparel industry. He should be knowledgeable person about the garment industry process like costing, knitting, dyeing, washing etc.

2. Language Skill:

Communicating with buyers is major role of a merchandiser, he should able to communicate in English. Good language skill can help establish a better negotiation with buyer.

3. Costing Knowledge:

A senior merchandiser should know the current fabric and accessories price in the market.  He/she should also knowledge about all processing charges in the industry.

4. Good Behavioral:

Good behavioral is another important quality of a senior merchandiser. He/she have to maintain a good relation with all depart like sampling, production, fabric team, management quality and finishing.

5. Technical Knowledge:

In the apparel industry there few technical knowledge which must be known by a senior merchandiser.  He/she should also know the quality parameters of the industry and various testing process.

6. Leadership:

A good merchandiser must be a good leader. He/she should be the head of the department, and ensure the all processing going smoothly from yarn purchasing to shipment and documentation.

7. Problem Solver:

He/she should be a problem solver, industry faces lot of practical difficulties while processing in every yarn, knitting, washing, printing, fusing, sewing, finishing. A senior merchandiser should have well experience to take better diction that will not affect the quality and shipment date.

Responsibilities of Senior Merchandiser:

A senior merchandiser has responsible for all the planning and activities from buyer communication to shipment by achieving the quality and shipment date. The responsibilities of senior merchandiser are given below-

1. Communication:

The merchandiser has to communicate with different levels of people in his day to day activities.

2. Planning & Programming:

He/she should follow, order requirement, T&A for placed order, arranging work plan for all departments.

3. New Inquires:

He/she should source new buyer and take new enquirers in order to avoid the order flow.

4. Sample Coordination:

Sample development is most important role in the apparel industry. So merchandiser has to clarify the sample is done as per buyer requirement.

5. Process Invention:

He/she should invent how to do a different requirement of buyer can achieve by using exciting technologies and do the traditional methods if it needs to obtain a unique fashion look.

6. Follow-up:

Follow up is the most important task of a senior merchandiser. A good senior merchandiser must follow up from the sampling to the finishing in the apparel industry.

7. Decision Making:

He/she should give approvals like lab, color, fabric quality swatch, yarn dip, print, and internal samples also supplier selection and time planning.

8. Sourcing & Purchasing:

He/she should source and purchase raw material and accessories, suppliers, new buyers.

9. Controlling:

He/she should control all the merchandising team buy giving required instruction and guidance.

10. Coordination:

If there is a problem arise, the merchandiser has to support and lend help hand in order to complete the task successfully in the given period.

11. Negotiation:

Convincing and compromising and cooperation which would benefit the both parties involved in the negotiation.

12. Costing:

It is the process of estimating the expenditure of a given product .it is crucial function because the order confirmation is depends on the price offered to the buyers.

12. Meeting:

A. Merchant’s meeting:

He/she should arrange merchant meeting by including all merchandisers and superiors to take decisions about the orders and planning.

B. Production-meeting:

Production meeting with all production supervisors and managers to discuss the running orders.

13. Forecasting:

It is the activity of predicting the future happenings or problems. A merchandiser has to predict the future uncertainties in the current order or industry so that alternative action or corrective measures can be taken in advance this also includes giving suggestion or ideas about new technologies or new products or latest industry trends.