Fashion Merchandising

A fashion merchandising professional develops strategies for displaying merchandise in the way that will be most appealing to consumers. Not only does this include determining the best packaging and design, but it also involves identifying the best price and method for displaying the product on store shelves.

As with all forms of merchandising, the goal of a fashion merchandising professional is to develop a way to display the product in order to obtain the greatest number of sales. This can be trickier with fashion merchandising than with other products, however, as clothing generally is not packaged in a container while on display in the store. Therefore, the fashion merchandising professional generally needs to focus on creating attractive displays on which the clothing can be hung.

In order to become a fashion merchandising manager, it is generally necessary to obtain a minimum of a bachelor's degree in advertising or marketing. Most employers, however, prefer hiring someone with a master's degree as well as a background in fashion. Therefore, earning a bachelor's degree in fashion design and then earning a master's degree in advertising or marketing is a good path to take for those who are interested in a career in fashion merchandising.

A good candidate for a fashion merchandising career is someone who enjoys monitoring fashion trends and is interested in finding ways to encourage others to purchase fashion merchandise. Those who are well organized and who have a good understanding of the human psyche are particularly well suited to a career in this field.