Becoming a Buyer?

[couturecate]

what about buyers? i've read online that they can make up to 100,000/year. is that pretty rare? or normal if you're a buyer for a big company?

Sure, buyers can make that and more; but it's typically in NYC, San Fran or LA where the cost of living is so high that $100,000 translates into much, much less. It's still a great career and worth pursuing, everyone who's motivated to go for it should--outcomes are different for every individual.
... and when negotiating salary in the aforementioned cities, keep that cost of living in mind and up your price accordingly ...

 

[style_savy]

I just ordered that book online. Hope it will be an interesting read. Had some great reviews so I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I love reading about human nature and behaviors. I already know quite a few things about manipulating shoppers since I worked in retail but I'm sure this book will help me with my own shopping addictions. And thank-you couturecate for your reply.

oops I meant annabel not couturecate

 

[justxanotherxday]

a few people have asked this in the last few pages, and i haven't seen it answered yet, and i'm really interested because i'm at the stage where i'm researching colleges.

if you want to be a buyer, is it better to get a degree in fashion merchandising from a fashion school or a business degree from a normal college?

also, do you think that one of those two degrees would up my chances more than say a pyschology degree? i'm assuming yes, but do you think it'd be a significant advantage?

 

[couturecate]

a few people have asked this in the last few pages, and i haven't seen it answered yet, and i'm really interested because i'm at the stage where i'm researching colleges.

if you want to be a buyer, is it better to get a degree in fashion merchandising from a fashion school or a business degree from a normal college?

also, do you think that one of those two degrees would up my chances more than say a pyschology degree? i'm assuming yes, but do you think it'd be a significant advantage?

IMO a business degree is the way to go. Higher ups care more about the #s than anything else and the fashion end is largely instinct and what you're able to glean on your own time anyhow.

I had an english degree, so the psychology degree isn't a major impediment, but I think a business major might make it easier. I don't know enough about fashion merchandising degrees nor the perception of degrees from fashion colleges, but on the off chance you wind up working outside of fashion--you're much safer going for the bus. degree from the well-known university.

Just mho ...

 

[JJohnson]

IMO a business degree is the way to go. Higher ups care more about the #s than anything else and the fashion end is largely instinct and what you're able to glean on your own time anyhow.

I had an english degree, so the psychology degree isn't a major impediment, but I think a business major might make it easier. I don't know enough about fashion merchandising degrees nor the perception of degrees from fashion colleges, but on the off chance you wind up working outside of fashion--you're much safer going for the bus. degree from the well-known university.

Just mho ...

yea im going to a good school and getting a business degree, but i think i might better off doing business....many buyers work A LOT! well couturecate where are u located?

 

[CHADiLer]

this is something i'm seriously considering, but my perception of it might not be reality.

so i was wondering if any buyers out there could give me an idea of what kinds of things you do on an average day.

 

[cygnenoir]

wow everyone wants to be a buyer.....i heard from my boss (a buyer) was that every1 thinks its about shopping etc.....its soooooo many numbers and starring at an excel worksheet a day and worrying more so about what is already in the stores and how to predict what is going to happen with that inventory than just going to shows....

This is very true. I worked as an assistant to a buyer at a major NYC department store and part of my job was checking the financials every hour. You can have the most impeccable taste but your customers might not! If you do not get the sales, you will lose your job. If you get the sales, there were nice bonuses.

I noticed that the most successful buyers usually had sales experience and a degree. I think that working directly with the customers is crucial to knowing what to buy and what sells.

As far as what buyers do every day, there is a lot of planning orders and working with budgets. You never have enough money to stock all that you want and often things you want get back-ordered and you have to decide what you must have and what orders to cancel. Of course, on the fun side, you travel a lot, visit designer showrooms, attend fashion shows and read trend reports.

I'll admit that I used to want to be a buyer, but after working in a buying office, it lost a lot of it's allure. Maybe if I owned a little boutique?

 

[couturecate]

yea im going to a good school and getting a business degree, but i think i might better off doing business....many buyers work A LOT! well couturecate where are u located?

I was a fashion buyer in Michigan, then a party goods buyer in Indianapolis and then I opened my own boutique in Indy. Unfortunately I had to close the boutique; had 2 babies and the shop was undercapitalized. I also found that it takes a long time for advertising to kick in, have people find you, as well as get sophisticated enough clientele to understand 'boutique vs. dept store.' It was a very challenging and enlightening experience, an enormous amount of work & heartbreaking to have to close it.

As a buyer for the regional specialty chain, the big thing was buying for your regional clientele--which often has little to do with your taste. Transferring merch. around to different stores to get it to sell, as well as getting vendors to take returns on styles that didn't fit correctly, etc. were key to upping sell-through. You must know vendors, groups, style & fit inside and out. If a pricey group from X designer was simply cut wrong and you don't know it, it won't sell and you're stuck with thousands of dollars in dead merchandise. If you try as much on as possible and talk daily with various sales people about fit, style perceptions, etc., then you will catch the costly errors in time and be able to return them for either credit or styles that will sell.

Yes, you check #s multiple times daily--chainwide as well as the individual stores. This info is what drives transfers, etc. You must do everything humanly possible to up your sell-through.

It's not nearly as glamorous as everyone thinks, but I still found it to be very rewarding and would recommend it. It's a nice balance of numbers, creativity and people skills.

While I had my own boutique, I did my buying out of the NY showrooms--didn't have time to go to shows & didn't have the patience to go to the big trade shows, etc. I enjoyed the showrooms and adore NY.

Hope this helps whoever is interested

 

[JJohnson]

This is very true. I worked as an assistant to a buyer at a major NYC department store and part of my job was checking the financials every hour. You can have the most impeccable taste but your customers might not! If you do not get the sales, you will lose your job. If you get the sales, there were nice bonuses.

I noticed that the most successful buyers usually had sales experience and a degree. I think that working directly with the customers is crucial to knowing what to buy and what sells.

As far as what buyers do every day, there is a lot of planning orders and working with budgets. You never have enough money to stock all that you want and often things you want get back-ordered and you have to decide what you must have and what orders to cancel. Of course, on the fun side, you travel a lot, visit designer showrooms, attend fashion shows and read trend reports.

I'll admit that I used to want to be a buyer, but after working in a buying office, it lost a lot of it's allure. Maybe if I owned a little boutique?

lol that sounds reasonable haha

 

[JJohnson]

wow couturecate im sorry u had to close ur store but im still not sure if i wanna be a buyer....i dunno i wish i could like intern somewhere in a buying office...oh well

 

[CHADiLer]

I was a fashion buyer in Michigan, then a party goods buyer in Indianapolis and then I opened my own boutique in Indy. Unfortunately I had to close the boutique; had 2 babies and the shop was undercapitalized. I also found that it takes a long time for advertising to kick in, have people find you, as well as get sophisticated enough clientele to understand 'boutique vs. dept store.' It was a very challenging and enlightening experience, an enormous amount of work & heartbreaking to have to close it.

this is what i want to do. start as a buyer and then open a boutique. how many years of buying did you do before you opened your store and how many years was your store open?

also, did being a buyer make it alot easier to open shop? since you may already know some of the contacts for certain brands and such?

 

[JJohnson]

I love the buyers at barney's

 

[MarlaLP]

Best degree for a buyer

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I've been reading through this thread and I've found it extremely informative.

It is my goal to become a buyer. I am 20 years old and currently obtaining my AA degree (with an intended transfer major in Business), after which I will transfer to a university to earn a Bachelor degree. There are two possibilities for this degree and I'm hoping someone with knowledge of the business can advise me.

Also, I want to mention, I have studied fashion design in Paris for a year and a half, and I've been working in retail since I was 16. I have good SAT scores (1370) and so far I've maintained a 4.0 GPA.


1st option: Florida State University - BS Merchandising
http://www.chs.fsu.edu/tcs/undergraduate_merchandising.php
It sounds like the perfect degree for a buyer, but I am concerned it is too focused on textiles/fashion and not enough math and business? Also, I'm concerned that if a career in buying didn't work out, I would be limited by this very focused degree.

2nd option: Florida Atlantic University - BS International Business and Trade
http://www.business.fau.edu/index.php?submenu=undergrad-Business%20Majors&src=gendocs&link=Business%20Majors-International%20Business%20%26%20Trade&category=Programs%20for%20Business%20Majors


Also, do you think it's necessary to go to a top school to find a job as a buyer? Or will a state university degree suffice?

Thanks a lot.

-Marla

 

[MarlaLP]

This is a better description of the International Business degree. http://www.fau.edu/student/majors/intl_bus.htm

It does mention Retail Executive and Export Sales as examples of associated careers.

 

[gaby]

in fashionschools.org it says that buyers and editors get paid (salry)between $30,000 and $40,000 entry level.is that estimate per month or per year???
can anyone clear that up for me please..

 

[ShoeLady]

per year. People in the business for years don't make half that much in a month.

 

[Jacque Marcel]

Has anyone taken the Neiman's math test? Is it basic math?

 

[mkfan]

I have three questions about the Saks training program they have on their website.

1) It says the program starts in February. How early should I apply in advance?

2) The website says the program trains for a merchandising kind of position. What is the difference between merchandising and buying? I would like to be the one who goes to fashion shows and picks what things for the store. That's buying isn't it? If that's the case, what is merchandising?

3) Is the training program something like school where you go for a couple hours a day and then work at another part time job? Or is it all encompassing (ie a full day) and do you get paid for it?

Thanks!

 

[asow007]

Hi guys, I'm hoping you can help me with this: I really would like to be a fashion buyer one day so I am going to be doing a Marketing Management degree and I was wondering if that degree would help me in the direction of becoming a buyer?

Also, I live in South Africa so do you think companies overseas (i.e. UK and USA) would train me or should I get trained up here and try and get hired overseas?

Thanks in advance

 

[shopgirl]

I would also like to know the answers to MKFan's questions.

Any input is much appreciated!!