any BUYERS in here?

C

chiqunique

Member
Nov 4, 2006
303
0
#1
I am currently an accounting major and i work my (excuse my language ) ass off but i absolutely hate it. I am considering take a class in merchandising at the Fashion Institue of Technology this summer but am not sure where to begin. If any of you are buyers, what exactly do you do on a daily basis? I alwasy thought buyers were those people who picked out what the stores should order but my friend is studying it right now and she said that it has a lot to do with math?? Just any info you'd like to share would be great appreciated!!;)
 
#2
Well, I have a B.S. degree in Textile and Apparel from the Univ. of MD. I went into fashion merchandising and was an assistant buyer for Hecht's (it's now part of the Macy's chain, but it wasn't in the 1980's when I worked there.)

The buyer that I worked for did all the ordering for the pre-teen department. All her purchases were approved by her superivsor, though. She decided which merchandise to put on sale, which things to put in ads, which stores got which labels (there 20+ stores), which things to return to the vendor b/c they didn't sell, visited branch stores, etc.

She traveled to NYC a couple of times a month to go to showrooms. The hours were long (even for me as an assistant) and I found the atmosphere unpleasant. Deadlines were always looming and problems with shipments were never ending. Maybe it was the personality of Hecht's but nothing was ever dealt with calmly. Slamming doors, yelling and banging down telephones was on-going.

Some math was involved, but no more than basic arithmetic. Anymore, I suspect the computer would do it all for you. I'm sure it's a much more sophisticated system than when I worked in a buying office.

For a person who enjoys traveling and devoting tons of time to a job, it's ideal. I think, though, for a person who has hobbies, a family, and doesn't like to travel it's not a good match.
 
#4
Thank you for taking the time out to share your experience with me :smile: That sounds appealing but not the slamming phones part..I wouldn't mind traveling now but I'm sure I wouldn't liek that too much when I get older :sad: One last question though, did the buyer ever have to make presentations?? THANK YOU SO MUCH!
 
#5
chiqunique said:
Thank you for taking the time out to share your experience with me :smile: That sounds appealing but not the slamming phones part..I wouldn't mind traveling now but I'm sure I wouldn't liek that too much when I get older :sad: One last question though, did the buyer ever have to make presentations?? THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Click to expand...
Yes, actually she did, but it was a very small part of her job and it was limited to people within the chain. For example, we would have meetings to discuss what the store was emphasizing for fall and she would have to stand in front of all the other buyers, managers, etc. and present a short (approx. five minute) talk and show samples.

Good luck to you in making your career choice!! Although the job eventually took its toll on me, I would like to say that it taught me invaluable tools....how to stay organized under pressure, how to look at the quality of a garment, an appreciation for applied design (colors and creativity and how to put the two together) and how to work with a variety of personalities. These are concepts that have served me well ever since.;)
 
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