What is Garment Merchandiser | Types of Merchandiser in Garment Industry

What is Garment Merchandiser?
The term “merchandiser” was derived from the word “Merchandise”. Merchandiser in a garment industry is the person who is responsible in managing the buyers and their orders by taking care of the garment business in his concern. He follow-ups the garment manufacturing activities of the company to ensure timely delivery of right quality and quantity. So we can say that a garment merchandiser is a person who buys raw materials, accessories for producing required garments and exports them to the buyers in different countries within the stipulated time period. In this article I will discuss functions of different types of garment merchandiser.

Types of Merchandiser in Garment Industry:
There are different types of merchandiser in the garment industry, each with a specific role and responsibility. Here are some of the most common types of garment merchandisers:

1. Production merchandiser
2. Garment export merchandiser
3. Fashion merchandiser
4. Visual merchandiser
5. Retail merchandiser

Explain above different types of merchandiser in the garment industry.

A. Production merchandiser:
A Production Merchandiser in the garment industry is responsible for coordinating and follow-up the production process of a garment order. Production Merchandiser plays a crucial role in ensuring the successful production of garments and the timely delivery of orders to the buyer. The role of a Production Merchandiser starts after the order is received from the buyer and ends when the order is completed and shipped to the buyer.

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The key responsibilities of a Production Merchandiser include:

1. Coordinating and managing garment production
2. Conducting quality control checks
3. Liaising with buyers
4. Ensuring timely delivery of orders
5. Tracking production progress and updating buyers
6. Monitoring and controlling production costs
7. Managing production documentation
8. Handling production-related issues and disputes
9. Coordinating with suppliers and vendors
10. Maintaining production records and reports.

B. Garment export merchandiser:
Garment Export Merchandiser has to coordinate and manage the export of garments from the manufacturer to the buyer. They work closely with the production, quality control, design, and shipping teams to ensure that the garments are produced and shipped as per the buyer’s requirements and within the specified timelines.

Functions of Garment export merchandiser:

1. Sourcing materials and suppliers
2. Managing the production process
3. Quality control
4. Communication with buyers
5. Logistics and shipping coordination
6. Compliance with international trade regulations and standards

C. Fashion merchandiser:
Fashion merchandising process involves in the design creation and product development process. A Fashion Merchandiser is responsible for developing and executing a merchandising strategy to promote and sell the company’s fashion products. They analyze market trends and consumer behavior, work with the design team to create new products, and collaborate with the marketing and sales teams to promote the products.

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Functions of a fashion merchandiser:

1. Communicate with buyer regarding orders
2. Develop samples/counter-sample as per requirements
3. Quote – cost/price
4. Get sample approvals – regarding fabrics / fittings / shade / trim / accessories and so forth
5. Prepare a schedule for order execution
6. Sourcing fabric / trim / accessories and so forth
7. Production interface
8. Perform lab tests and quality checks
9. Documentation
10. Dispatch and delivery

D. Visual merchandiser:
A visual merchandiser is responsible for creating attractive and visually appealing displays of products in retail stores or showrooms. They use their creativity and design skills to showcase products in a way that attracts and engages customers and promotes sales.

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Functions of a visual merchandiser:

1. Planning and designing store displays
2. Creating brand awareness
3. Enhancing the customer experience
4. Managing product inventory
5. Following current fashion and design trends
6. Analyzing sales data
7. Training store staff

E. Retail merchandiser:
Retail merchandising is another type of merchandising activity, which happens at the end of the hierarchy. Here the retail merchandiser sells products in less quantities and he act as an intermediary between the ultimate consumers and wholesalers. A retailer merchandiser is both a marketer and a customer handler. He creates the place, time and facilities to sell the goods. Retail merchandiser plays a critical role in managing the store’s product selection, pricing, and placement to maximize sales and revenue.

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Functions of a retail merchandiser:

1. To estimate sales and plan stock levels
2. Plan and execute merchandise presentation with the available selling space
3. Maintaining stock, replenishing it at the correct time
4. Respond immediately to customer needs and explore seasonal selling opportunities.
5. Provide direct feedback to the manufacturer
6. To perform regular sales analysis and report progress to the management
7. To achieve sales targets and profi t margins
8. Provide sales training
9. Handle complaints

References:

1. Apparel Merchandising by R. Rathinamoorthy and R. Surjit
2. Fashion Marketing Management by A. Arunraj and V. Ramesh Babu
3. Apparel Manufacturing Technology By T. Karthik, P. Ganesan and D. Gopalakrishnan
4. Garments Merchandising by M. A. Kashem.

You may also like:

1. Apparel Merchandiser: A Key Person in Export Business
2. Sourcing and Negotiation in Garment Export Business
3. Career Development in Apparel Merchandising

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