Often employers invite applicants 18-25 years old to work as merchandisers, so students and graduates believe that this is an easy job that does not require experience. In fact, it is far from being as simple as it might seem at first glance, and the list of duties of representatives of this profession is very wide.
What a merchandiser should do
It is widely believed that merchandisers simply arrange goods in stores, and this is where their duties end. In fact, this is not the case. People working in this position should not only arrange products, but also analyze different options for their arrangement on the shelves and choose the most appropriate methods. Their task is to arrange shelves in such a way that buyers give preference to the most expensive items and buy more items.
Also, the duties of the merchandiser include checking the expiration date of the goods and their packaging. If there is a product on the shelves in a crumpled or dirty package, this particular store employee should solve the problem. If customers have shuffled the product or put the product on a shelf where it shouldn't be, the merchandiser should put everything in order. Finally, it is merchandisers who often organize advertising campaigns.
The subtleties of the merchandiser
A beginner merchandiser performs duties in a "lightweight mode". He does not need to think about how to properly arrange the goods. He also does not have to choose things that need to be placed at the level of the eyes of buyers in order to increase the level of sales. Such an employee is given planograms, and he only has to correctly arrange things on the shelves, referring to the diagram. During the day, the merchandiser also has to put things in order in the trading floor, make sure that all goods and price tags are in their places, and, if necessary, bring new products for sale.
Higher level merchandisers do other work as well. Their responsibilities include analyzing competitors' prices and choosing the best value for each product. A good merchandiser knows that you can slightly understate the price of the main product, but make money on the accompanying ones. For example, you can sell a camera at a cheaper price, but at the same time slightly overcharge the price of a lens, a bag, a protective film, and goods for the care of optics.
The working day of the merchandiser also includes the control of the balances of each type of goods in the warehouse. The specialist must make sure that expiring products are sold first and that the store's assortment is replenished evenly. A good merchandiser will not allow empty shelves or warehouse overflow.
Finally, the profession has to choose and place the advertising materials correctly. They are looking for a place to hold promotions, place advertising stands and posters, lay out goods on special shelves so that customers not only pay attention to them, but also want to buy. Such work requires experience, special knowledge, and a willingness to act creatively.
