Advantages and Disadvantages
There are a number of advantages of being a retail buyer, while there can also be many disadvantages. I believe it really depends on the type of person you are to determine if these are advantages or disadvantages. A retail buyer works in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, but the atmosphere can be very stressful when decisions need to be made hourly. There can also be long and irregular hours especially during holidays. Buyers must also visit merchandise showrooms, especially in key regions like New York, Chicago, and even Europe, but that hardly sounds like a chore for some people! But while these trips may sound glamorous, they are actually very demanding. A buyer may visit six to eight suppliers in one day and must quickly estimate the potential profitability of many products. Problems also occur when families are involved, because it is then hard to travel and have irregular hours.
Another type of advantage of being a buyer is the fact that one s true characteristics can really shine through, that is, if you have the right type of personality. Buyers should be: outgoing, confident, persuasive, competitive, able to make good judgments, practical, efficient, willing to take risks and make mistakes, able to take criticism, adaptable to different situations and environments, aware of fashion and trends, and culturally sensitive, tactful and diplomatic for working with foreign clients. If a person thinks that they possess these traits, they may have the perfect job. Although it is important to remember that weakness in even one of those things can really make it difficult to perform this job effectively and efficiently.
Future Prospects
In regards to moving up in the retailing business, most buyers do begin in retail sales and move up from there. They may become head of stock and then become assistant buyers. Many large chains operate executive training programs for college graduates. Buyers can become merchandise managers and supervise other buyers. Some buyers have even become vice presidents of merchandising or store presidents.
Earnings
Although salary ranges may vary, the average income of a buyer is $50,000 – $62,000 a year. The top earnings range from about $65,000 – $75,000 a year. These earnings depend on sales volume of the store, location, type of merchandise, and possible supervisory roles. Salary is highest in large chains and well-known specialty stores such as footwear and women s apparel stores.
I feel that by doing this assignment, my knowledge of these jobs has increased dramatically. I now know what each job entails, its benefits and weaknesses, and the type of person I have to be to handle the high stress factor of each job. I am know even more determined to work my way up the ladder in school and in making job contacts since it is not the easiest filed to get into. I think the job of being either a Retail Buyer or a Fashion coordinator fits my personality extremely well. I love being in a fast-paced environment, and I have very good stress management skills (you have to in college!). Since I told you earlier I would give you my choice in jobs it would have to be being a Fashion Coordinator. I feel I have a real knack for being able to pick up fashion trends. It would be an ideal job for me to be able to set the fashion trends for the upcoming seasons. I would be able to work with people, which is something that I really enjoy. Working with models is every mans dream. I would be able to travel around the world for free and hang out in the best nightclubs to see what people were wearing. The hours would be irregular but I tend to be an irregular person. To me being able to see the world at my age would be worth the hectic schedule. In the beginning of the paper I mentioned settling down and that is something that I would not have the privilege of doing while working in this field. But at this point in my life I think living on the road and staying in hotels would be perfect for me. I have always wanted to see the world why not do it and get paid for it. Eventually I would want to settle down and maybe just do some consulting in my field and get a desk job. I am going to have to do more research to find out which one suits me best but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.