Below is a part of an interview I had with a fashion buyer from an independently owned chain of womenswear boutiques.
She explains briefly what a typical day would be like for her.
How did you get into the fashion industry?
Most fashion buyers start out by working on the shop floor either as sales assistants or shop managers. I was no different and worked on the shop floor for 4 years. This allowed me to get a full understanding of all the designers and merchandise we stocked, from clothing, bags and accessories to small jewellery items. It also gave me great insight into the many comments we receive, good and bad, direct from customers.
What are the highs and lows to your job?
There are many of both! As I love the fashion industry the highs outweigh the lows. I get to see all the latest trends at Catwalk shows, trade exhibitions and fashion showrooms, I travel extensively and get to order the collections I love for our stores, baring in mind our customer profile, and I get to see the results of my opinions and hard work by the sell throughs on each item I have ordered. I also get given lots of goodies along the way ...sometimes!
The lows can be the long hours I need to put in. Often I'm on the shop floor very early in the morning merchandising, late in the evening organising window dressing and at weekends and during holiday periods when the stores are extremely busy. There is a lot of paperwork for buyers, lots of running from showroom to showroom and sometimes when merchandise is delivered we have to return some to the designer as it can be different from what we have ordered, this is not what we like to do but is a part of the business. Dealing with customers directly also has it's challenges. As I buy for my own stores I am often on the shop floor listening to comments directly from customers which sometime can be less than complimentary, especially if do not have something available in their size!
Do you get to travel within your job?
Yes, extensively both at home and abroad. It's very important for a fashion buyer to stock fashion designers and brands that are not available on every high street. In order for us to do this we have to travel to seek out these labels. We get to visit catwalk shows, tradeshows, exhibitions and fashion showrooms around the world but particularly throughout Europe, London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Denmark, New York & LA.
What does a typical day for you involve?
It really depends upon the time of the season and if I am honest, there is no such thing as a typical day for me as each one has different challenges. If it's the buying season then typically I will be travelling from showroom to showroom placing orders for the collections I want to stock, then returning to the store to catch up on the mountain of paperwork that always needs doing, returns to suppliers, paying invoices due, making sure my website has everything it needs and is constantly updated with new imagery coming through, handling PR, customer queries, making appointments, launch days, stock re-ordering, the list goes on! I have to make sure that the shop window looks fabulous at all times and the stock in store is correctly merchandised and priced.
