Becoming a Buyer?

[Cicciolina]

Good luck priss! Which company is this with?

 

[Deborah]

Good luck Priss. Let us know how it goes!

 

[priss]

its for one of the big retailers.. dont wanna say who

 

[priss]

does anyone know much about david jones merchanise planner/trainee buyer program they have on their website.. it says invitiations only which means mainly Dj employee's but i just wondered if anyone has done it or knows a bit about it.. i think it is 12-18months than you come out as an assistant buyer or planner..

 

[couturecouture]

Do buyers get free stuff like magazine editors???

It depends. I believe some do and some don't. My aunt's friend used to be a buyer for the shoe dept in a department store (I'm not sure if she still is) and to her convenience the display size that the store used was the same size she wore so she got to keep shoes if the display pair didn't sell, I'm not sure if she had to wait until the end of the season or how many she got per season or anything but I was so jealous!

 

[couturecouture]

Anyone know if this is how most major department stores work?

I think it depends on the store. Because all of the job postings I see say that for "assistant buyers" you need sometimes 4 years of buying experience! I assume that the majority hire within. How do you get the experience when every store requires buying experience!? I've concluded that the only way to get buying experience without being hired as one is to intern with a buyer and get their recommendation.

 

[JenniferJarvis]

I got through to the one on one interview with arcadia for the graduate trainee buying job.
First theres an online test, then theres a phone interview , then theres a group task, then theres a maths test, then theres the one on one interview and then theres the interview with whoever they think your suitable to work for ie dorothy perkins, topshop etc

Never thought there would be 6 rounds of testing and interviews to get that job!! that was long!!!

The reason why I didn't get through was because I didn't have sales assistant experience.

 

[Cicciolina]

Thanks for telling us about the interview JenniferJarvis. It's good to get interview experience though, but that sounds very longwinded! Arcadia would be amazing to work for.

 

[JenniferJarvis]

Thanks for telling us about the interview JenniferJarvis. It's good to get interview experience though, but that sounds very longwinded! Arcadia would be amazing to work for.

Yeah I think it's a bit over the top the amount of processes you have to go through but then again they must have soooo many people applying to them

 

[clarex]

JenniferJarvis you got further than me! I got to the interview and assesment centre stage. Their feedback to me was so frustrating, they said I didn't know the names of the current trends, I could describe them, say what designers were doing them and how they'd evolved etc but couldn't give a specific name, and that I didn't name enough places where I went to see new trends! They suggested concerts...I was like "This is IT, this is the feedback?!"

 

[priss]

dont worry i had no luck with my job either.. apparently i need experience in a buying office just to get an entry level job as a buyers assistant!! i have fashion sales assistant experience, commerce degree, work as a data analyst.. but nope.. so frustrating.. kinda getting over it now

 

[kryptonite]

I can understand where everyone is coming from with all the questions about how to land a foot in the door of buying. I found out that I wanted to work in the fashion industry about two years ago. To make a long story short I was in charge of the buying/advertising/merchandising of clothes for a Travel Center Company and after a few months I knew I wanted to turn it into a career but in a more fast past cutting edge side. After leaving the company I started doing research and found a school where I plan to get a BS degree in Fashion Merchandising/Marketing. I hope to land a small entry level position with a label while in school so I have the chance to learn at school and work as well as build work experience that is much needed after graduation. I do have alot of questions and in much need of advice so if any one was to pass on some wisdom I would appreciate it.

 

[tobes]

I'm a fashion marketing student right now and my lecturers say that buyers are more the 'creatives' (choosing what goes into stores etc) while the merchandisers are the number crunchers. This seems to go against what you guys are saying on here, I understand that they need to stay within budgets but I didn't think it was so mathsy (good word, i know!).

So can someone clarify like a job description type thing, it sounds like a really interesting job and I'm not too put off by the numbers but I'm just wondering if they're talking crap!

 

[BetteT]

I can't answer this (I'm not a buyer), but if you read the entire thread ... there are buyers who have talked about what they do and links to resources ... so you have all that info here, already.

 

[ksl8313]

I'm a fashion marketing student right now and my lecturers say that buyers are more the 'creatives' (choosing what goes into stores etc) while the merchandisers are the number crunchers. This seems to go against what you guys are saying on here, I understand that they need to stay within budgets but I didn't think it was so mathsy (good word, i know!).

So can someone clarify like a job description type thing, it sounds like a really interesting job and I'm not too put off by the numbers but I'm just wondering if they're talking crap!

Being a rep, I know a thing or two about buyers.
To me, the term merchandiser and buyer is pretty much the same. Different company, different title.

Granted that they do need to be fashionable and VERY knowledgable of garments, it is almost never glamorous/creative and almost always math/budget/retail. They will get a certain set of trends/colors to buy for, and no matter how strongly they feel for a style, unless it fits within the trend that the company gives them, they are not able to buy them.

I guess it will be different once you have moved up the food chain, but even for many senior buyers (who are in charge of a department) they are required to follow the trends.

Hopefully I'm not breaking anyone's bubble, but it is a wonderful and fun-filled job that requires a lot of travel and overtime.

Regards,

 

[JenniferJarvis]

I'm a fashion marketing student right now and my lecturers say that buyers are more the 'creatives' (choosing what goes into stores etc) while the merchandisers are the number crunchers. This seems to go against what you guys are saying on here, I understand that they need to stay within budgets but I didn't think it was so mathsy (good word, i know!).

So can someone clarify like a job description type thing, it sounds like a really interesting job and I'm not too put off by the numbers but I'm just wondering if they're talking crap!

merchandisers have a much more logical/mathmatical role, when i was working on merchandising during a placement i found it highly boring...it's all excel spread sheets and calculations.

buying is bit half and half....it's not all choosing pretty dresses you have to analise your sales and your customer buying patterns to know what to buy in the future.

 

[Katie123]

does anyone know of good fashion buying courses in london? doesn't even need to give you a qualification, just something to understand a bit more about the business.
i found something like the london retail academy online? not sure what that's about

 

[miss_coutureland]

what type of buying is less competitve to get into. Like its an acessorie buyer job less competitive than e.e.g womens wear or mens wear etc

 

[Cicciolina]

I think accessories would be just as competitive as apparel.

I've heard (at least in some companies) that Homeware buying isn't very competitive... it's also not as coveted as a job over all though (in the company that I was working in).

 

[clarex]

does anyone know of good fashion buying courses in london? doesn't even need to give you a qualification, just something to understand a bit more about the business.
i found something like the london retail academy online? not sure what that's about

Hi Katie - this is a bit late but I only just saw this, if you're still looking London College of Fashion does a Fashion Buying & Merchandising short course that is quite good. They do levels 1,2 and 3. I did 1 and 2 combined over a week in my Easter holidays.