Trainee Merchandiser Job Description

A trainee merchandiser post is an entry-level post of a merchandiser. A trainee merchandiser will be promoted as a merchandiser and then a senior merchandiser. Sometimes a trainee merchandiser is known as a junior merchandiser. The post title varies from company to company. Before recruiting a trainee merchandiser, the recruiter must disclose what will be the job responsibilities for that position. Although a trainee merchandiser will do all merchandising tasks as they are junior, their job responsibilities will be less than the senior post. If you want to be a merchandiser for the apparel industry then you must know the trainee merchandiser job description so that you can have an idea of your future responsibilities.

Trainee Merchandiser Job Description

To become a trainee merchandiser, you are not required to have a textile engineering degree. You can work as a merchandiser if you are from a marketing background also. In real life, you may find people came from a different background but working in the apparel industry as a merchandiser. There is nothing wrong to become surprised because if you have the qualification of merchandiser then you can be a successful merchandiser, your degree does not matter in this case.

A trainee merchandiser or junior merchandiser works as a probationer where he/she will get on the job training. Step by step they will learn how a merchandising process is going on a normal basis and how to manage all the tasks.

Remember one thing that at the early stage of merchandising career you will have to go through many tough situations as you are to work will all the responsibilities of merchandiser but the extensity of responsibility will be lower.

Trainee Merchandiser Job Description

Now come to the point of the job description of trainee merchandiser or junior merchandiser or garments merchandiser or merchandiser.

Merchandiser Job Description

As a garments merchandiser, your job description may include the following responsibilities.

  1. Search for a new buyer
  2. Communicate with existing buyers
  3. Costing of Garments
  4. Negotiate with buyers/customers
  5. Develop Sample
  6. Take an Order
  7. Follow up order status
  8. Make liaison among factory and exporter
  9. Regular Factory Visit
  10. Look for Sub Contractor
  11. Maintain and update Buyers Database
  12. Promoting Products
  13. Market Study and Demand Forecast
  14. Supply Chain Management
  15. Support Senior Merchandisers

The job responsibilities of apparel merchandisers are not limited to these but there may have many more tasks assigned by the managers or your supervisors.

Search for New Buyer

As a trainee merchandiser, your boss may ask you to look for a new buyer. So that company can enlarge its buyer basket. Although it is a challenging task to get new buyers from the competitive market. But sometimes a trainee merchandiser can manage new small buyers. Take it as a challenge and as well as opportunities.

Communicate with Existing Buyers

A good merchandiser always plays an active role in communicating with buyers. If buyers have any queries, then you need to give them the information. If you do not have the answer, then definitely you need to talk with your seniors or supervisor. Basically, for foreign buyers, communication is done through a phone call or through email.

Costing of Garments

This task is one of the main tasks. As a merchandiser, you need to know all the basic costing related to garments and accessories, so that you can calculate the offering price for a particular product to the buyer. Costing may include; fabric costing, trims and accessories costing, knitting cost, washing cost, dyeing cost, printing cost, garments cost of making, etc. For calculating the cost you may use formulas and textile and garments conversion factors.

Negotiate with Buyers/Customers

A proper price negotiation may help to satisfy both the maker and the buyers. It is your responsibility, first, do the costing of final garments and then negotiate with the buyers to offer a competitive price.

Develop Sample

Before placing an order, it is required to develop a sample for the buyers. Based on the sample garments if it meets the buyer’s requirements then they place an order. So, as a merchandiser, you need to work on developing a sample according to the buyer’s specifications.

Take Order

When garments buyers are satisfied with your sample garments, they will place an order and as a merchandiser, it is your responsibility to take an order on behalf of a company.

Follow up Order Status

After receiving an order, you have to follow up order status from time to time with the buyer’s so that they can have a proper idea of what actually going on. This will help to ensure the on-time delivery of the product.

Make Liaison among Factory and Exporter

It is the merchandiser’s responsibility to ensure a proper liaison among factory/garments maker or exporter if you are working in a buying house, they do not have any factory of their own.

Regular Factory Visit

Whether you work in a buying house or garments factory, you are required to visit the factory regularly just to check the garments production status which must be as per the specifications of the buyers.

Look for Sub Contractor

If your company does not have enough capacity to make all the order garments then you must look for sub-contractor those will work for making your garments. But this will be a challenging job for a merchandiser to choose the right sub-contractor who will offer a better price with the best quality product.

Maintain and Update Buyers Database

Every garment export maintains its buyer’s database so that they can evaluate and prioritize their buyers according to their values. It is the merchandiser’s responsibility to maintain a proper record of buyers and update the database from time to time.

Promoting Products

Your sales will depend on the promotion of your products. You know the demand for fashionable garments is increasing worldwide. As a trainee merchandiser if you are targeting a large number of future buyers then you must work for promoting your products.

Market Study and Demand Forecast

Merchandising job is one of the challenging jobs in the apparel industry because to become successful in merchandising career you must collect market data, study and analyze the data, and forecast accordingly so that you can be prepared for future challenges.

Supply Chain Management

Now a day’s properly managed supply chain is one of the success factors of the garments industry. The reason behind this is, an effective supply chain management will help you to minimize your product cost. Your supply chain will help you to source your product from the least cost sources and deliver your product through the least-cost channel.

Support Senior Merchandisers

As a trainee merchandiser or junior merchandiser, you need to support your seniors if they require your support. On-time support will increase your companies operating efficiency.

After these discussions hopefully, you understand what can be the responsibilities of merchandiser and what may include in trainee merchandiser job description. If you have still question then you may ask through a comment.

Merchandiser Job Description pdf

Written by

Md. Nahian Mahmud Shaikat

Trainee Merchandiser Job Description

2 thoughts on “Trainee Merchandiser Job Description

  1. I would like to become a merchandiser and I need an institutions that can help me

  2. I would like to become a merchandiser and I need an institutions that can help me sir

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