Merchandising Specialist

As a Merchandising Specialist, you create and implement the marketing plan for a particular retail establishment. That means it’s your job to figure out what the establishment needs to communicate and promote to customers. This includes trends, sales, particular colors, designers, slow-moving items, clearances, or brand new items. You also create window and floor displays within the store to boost sales based upon what the owners and Managers want.

It’s up to you, the Merchandising Specialist, to figure out both the practical and the creative solutions to slow sales. You should have an artistic eye as a Merchandising Specialist, since a lot of what you’ll be doing (displays and store flow) is creatively based. You should also have a good idea of what’s going on in the particular market you’re working in, what works for displays, and what just doesn’t.

Once you have your plan, you may also be in charge of directing Sales Associates and creating plans for them to follow. There’s a lot of communicating (with Managers, Sales Associates, and Vendors) that you have to do, so having a strong vision and being able to stick to it is important. You have a great opportunity here to be both creative and business-minded at once.