A career in the fashion industry doesn’t have to be as a designer or as a ramp model if what you want is to be in the midst of the glamorous seasonal trends. One of the most exciting jobs to land on in the world of fashion is that of a retail buyer.
Retail Buying Career in Other Industries
Actually, a career as a retail buyer can be in any industry, since the day-to-day job responsibility is to know the latest potential products that will sell fast in retail stores. Decision makers in manufacturing companies select related products to develop from the assortment of merchandise suggested by the retail buyer. That way, manufacturers can claim a share of the wholesale market for different types of merchandise that retailers look for in satisfying the demands of consumers.
In the same way, major retail stores with branches in different locations and at the same time engaged in ecommerce, employ retail buyers, usually for every department. Part of the job of retail buyers in big stores is to negotiate the prices and terms of the mix of merchandise handled by their respective department, e.g.: garments, shoes, toys, sports goods, electronic devices, etc.
Job openings for retail buyers are common in the electronics, grocery and building materials industries. Although businesses that employ the most number of retail buyers are those highly involved in ecommerce and fashion industry.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compensation depends on the size of the business organization and its operation, as well as the number of departments that employ retail buyers. The BLS report states that the median salary of retail buyers since 2015 is $28.66 per hour or about $52,620 per year.
Important Qualifications that Can Land a Retail Buyer Job
Aside from having a bachelor’s degree in marketing, retail, fashion or any related field of the department or business in need of retail buyers, knowledge of resource planning, forecasting, basic computer skills and experience in analyzing markets. Such qualifications can get an applicant shortlisted for an interview, and possibly for subsequent next-level interviews.
It’s important therefore to create a cover letter that can immediately make the application processor read the accompanying curriculum vitae (CV). In Germany, there are entities that offer letter-writing as a service, as a way to increase an applicant’s chances of moving forward to the next stage of the application process. Anschreiben erstellen lassen (Creating a cover letter) whether in German or English has had a 95% success rate for customers of Gekonnt Bewerben, a Germany-based leading provider of application writing services.
