Who is a buyer and what does he do. Interview with a buyer: trade secrets. On why good taste is nothing without knowledge of economics

16.05.2020

Greetings dear friends!

Cycle 1.

Responsibilities:

Participation in orders;

Formation of collections;

Assortment planning within the regulated budget;

Analysis of current sales of collections;

Carrying out seasonal orders;

Now let's look at it in order. As for the age, according to the current legislation of our country (Labor Code of the Russian Federation), the employer company does not have the right to indicate the age for its candidates in the description of vacancies. In my opinion, this concept has more disadvantages than advantages. Age for an employee is proportional to his professional experience. With the exception of young talents and rare talents in this field. And practical experience for a buyer is simply necessary. Learning to anticipate demand and meet it with a proposal is not easy in professions that especially require the candidate to have an artistic taste. Therefore, either you have such experience, or you automatically become not a buyer, but an assistant buyer, or a junior buyer. Whoever likes it. Hence the conclusion - any buyer needs practice. Artistic taste can be developed different ways. Start with the elementary - look at how people in your city are dressed. Start dressing your friends and family, try working as a stylist or photographer. On the this topic a sufficient number of books have been written and entertainment programs have been filmed on TV. Dare! But, do not overdo it, do not chase the idea of dressing everyone with your collection, combine your own style and consumer demand. Let your vision align with the buyer's. The balance here is simply necessary, even if you are an innovator at your core. Going further: the company considers 2 years of experience in this field acceptable. Let's see if this is the case. If a buyer is your calling, then this experience is suitable. But here, for the employer, what matters is HOW this experience was. Imagine that you are the owner or mistress of a boutique, will you entrust the assortment of your store into the hands of another person? Difficult, isn't it? Therefore, first of all, you must be sure that you will be able to sell your collection. If you doubt your own abilities, then believe me, the employer will see these doubts first. And you won't see a job. It is important here not to confuse “I know that I will sell because I have already done it” and “I know that I will sell because I really want to try” or “I know that I will sell, but I didn’t succeed last time, maybe it will work now." Simply put, when applying for a job as a buyer, you REALLY need a positive previous experience in this field. Or, start your career in less responsible positions, such as an assistant or assistant to a senior buyer. No need to be ashamed of a lower position or salary, much worse if you are at a disadvantage financial resources companies, make mistakes.

The gender of the employee is also omitted in the job description, all because of the new legislation. Well, this item can really be skipped. The fact is that the buyer profession is versatile, and from my own experience I will say that I know people, both female and male, who have proven themselves to be true professionals. The fact that there are clothes, shoes and accessories for women, men and children gives us options to choose the direction that you like the most. There are no criteria here: a man can be an ideal buyer for a women's collection or shoes, and a woman for men's or children's.

At the end of the first article about the bayer profession, I will add on my own behalf that all the facts listed above really take place. The fact that the profession is not easy enough, I think you have already seen. Therefore, if you think that a buyer is your calling, go for it and just go ahead! But be prepared for the fact that you will have to constantly look for a balance, be able to prove your case, not be afraid to take risks, constantly control the situation and keep your finger on the pulse. Moreover, the feeling when you meet people wearing your collection on the street can only be compared with the feeling of a designer at a show of his brand! Pride and satisfaction from a job well done.

The decision is yours, dear friends. Stay with me in order to learn more about the specifics of this profession and avoid mistakes in your work! Follow the news.

Professional buyers purchase goods and inventory for stores or businesses. They usually work for smaller companies, focusing on a specific line, such as clothing or accessories for women. Bayer - a profession that is designed to improve the company's operations for greater profits.

Buyer is a profession

Bayer (from the English buy - buy) must constantly evaluate suppliers and enter into contracts with them. It is also necessary to build connections and periodically learn about new trends in a given industry by visiting exhibitions and conferences. This means that travel both within the country and abroad will be mandatory. Bayer is a profession for those who do not like to sit in one place. Many of these workers may also be required to work overtime.

Who is a Bayer?

This is a specialist who is responsible for purchasing a certain type of product for an organization, for example, a store for branded clothing, accessories, children's toys, and so on. As you know, consumer demand is not constant, so it is important to analyze it regularly and focus on needs. target audience. A long time ago something similar was done by peddler merchants who traveled the world in search of rare goods. Bayer is a profession that can also be compared to a merchandiser responsible for the supply and sale of goods.

Buyer Career Requirements

Need higher education. Responsibilities include distribution, business administration.

The key skills are the ability to negotiate, accept right decisions, communication skills, business acumen.

Take part in an internship. It can provide useful experience in a certain area. Interns often work under experienced buyers and learn about supply and demand, strategic negotiation, and inventory management.

You can start with a temporary job (under contract) to get necessary experience and become a professional shopper over time. Job Responsibilities often involve finding new suppliers, purchasing products at bargain prices, analyzing business trends, and developing business plans. Such work provides opportunities for developing the necessary skills and negotiating.

Select a purchase specialization. Employers often look for candidates who have years of experience in specific fields, such as food products, cars, children's toys or men's clothing. Choosing a specialization at an early stage can lead to a higher level position in the future.

Bayer is a profession where after 2-4 years you can become experienced enough to reach more prestigious professional positions with additional responsibilities.

Get a certificate. This demonstrates the capabilities of a professional buyer and can help you stand out in the job market. Some employers even require certification, the big benefit of which is higher pay.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibilities of a professional buyer include:

analysis of last season sales data;
forecasting the wishes of buyers;
product quality assessment;
search and purchase of the necessary assortment;
building relationships with suppliers;
advanced training by attending various events, shows and presentations.

Buyer identity requirements

Here is a list of qualities:

activity;
initiative;
sense of style;
desire for self-improvement;
love for beauty;
sociability;
well developed intuition;
creative thinking;
time management skills;
resistance to stress;
ability to work in a group of like-minded people;
purposefulness;
common sense;
manager's abilities;
a high level of knowledge in a particular area;
Foreign language skills;
computer skills and other latest information technologies.

What are the advantages of a buyer?

The profession (the photo of what such specialists can look like, you saw above) looks very attractive in the fashion world. Many people want to work in this industry, especially those who are crazy about shows, catwalks, new collections of famous designers. What are the advantages of being a buyer? Firstly, there is almost no competition in this market segment, so young professionals have decent prospects for developing and realizing their potential.

Secondly, a large salary can be called a plus, since there are not so many advanced specialists, but the demand for their services is quite high. In the modern age of consumerism, store owners are willing to part with decent amounts of fees for a well-chosen assortment. Thirdly, the buyer always has the opportunity to dress stylishly and inexpensively, for example, during foreign trips.

Difficult and responsible work

Despite its visible advantages, gloss, gloss and many beautiful things, the work of a professional buyer has its dark sides, such as overtime work, constant traveling (for someone this can be a real problem), certain financial risks, especially when investing out of your own pocket.

Fashion profession

Who can work in the fashion industry? Designer, fashion designer, model, stylist. What else? Bayer is a profession that has long been in demand in European countries, but is still new and little known for Russia and the CIS countries. But it is from the representatives of this specialty that fashion trends and profits for many clothing manufacturers largely depend. What are the features of the profession of a bayer? Where to study to become a professional buyer?

Unfortunately, in domestic higher educational institutions standardized training programs for buyers have not yet been developed. In this regard, you will have to learn the basics of the profession on your own or abroad (the British Higher School of Design, the Istituto Marangoni School of Fashion and Design, the London College of Fashion), where you can get an education in the profile.

Where can a Russian buyer start? The profession, the training of which is currently problematic, has much in common with the work of a sales assistant in a fashion boutique. As for education, we can consider specialties related to the basics of marketing, economics and management.

Bayers are not only in fashion

Every year more and more new professions appear, the labor market begins to gradually adapt to the needs of the time. In the world, almost everything is sold and bought, and those who can do it best manage to earn the most.

Do you know what a media buyer is? The advertising and media planning profession is also popular in today's young and rapidly growing companies. The main task is to purchase advertising space and airtime on radio and television. After all, in order to sell something, you first need to properly advertise it.

Are there many professions related to fashion and the Fashion industry that you can name? Designer, fashion designer, model, stylist - this is, perhaps, the whole list that a person far from the world of fashion can voice. But a specialist in this field will definitely supplement this list with another profession, new to Russia, but very much in demand in Europe - bayer. Moreover, he will remember the buyer even earlier than the designer, since the fashion trends and profits of many clothing manufacturers depend on the representatives of this profession to a greater extent.

Who is hiding behind such an incomprehensible word "bayer", what is the peculiarity of this profession, how and where you can get it, you can find out from this article

Who is a Bayer?

Name professions bayer comes from the English "buyer" (buyer), and this word fully characterizes the specifics of the activities of these specialists. In other words, a buyer is a specialist responsible for the purchase of goods for a particular store (regardless of whether the store is branded clothing, expensive accessories or inexpensive analog watches) that meets the needs of the target audience of a particular outlet.

The prototype of this profession can be considered peddler merchants, who often went to overseas countries in search of rare goods, and commodity specialists more familiar to the Russian layman, responsible for the supply and sale of goods in Soviet stores.

Buyer is a "young" profession not only in Russia, where it appeared only a few years ago, but also in Europe, where buyers have been working for several decades. The first buyer can be considered the famous Armani, who began his career as an ordinary clothes salesman in a Milan department store.

The list of the buyer's main responsibilities includes: analysis of sales data from the previous season, forecasting customer preferences, assessing the quality of goods, selecting and purchasing a range of goods, establishing contacts with suppliers, as well as visiting showrooms, various shows and presentations.

What personal qualities should a buyer have?

The professional success of a buyer depends almost entirely on such personal qualities, how:

initiative;
innate sense of style;
craving for beauty;
good taste;
sociability;
developed intuition;
sociability;
creativity;
punctuality;
stress tolerance;
teamwork skills;
pragmatism;
organizational skills;
developed spatial thinking.

In addition, the buyer must understand fashion trends, thoroughly know the features of the group of goods that he purchases (for example, if this fashion buyer, then he must know the brands of clothing, the properties of fabrics, understand the quality of cutting and sewing, be able to select the size range and color combinations, etc.), have the makings of a psychologist and stylist. The knowledge of at least one foreign language, basics of management, economics, marketing, as well as a good command of modern information technologies.

The advantages of the profession of a buyer

Become a buyer almost all fashionistas and fashionistas dream of it, since this profession is inextricably linked with visiting fashion shows and viewing the latest collections. In addition, the profession of a buyer has such advantages as:

almost complete lack of competition in the labor market - in Russia this segment is empty, so young professionals have great prospects for development and self-realization;

a high level of income - since in our country professional buyers very little, and the demand for their services is quite large, boutique owners are ready to pay impressive fees for a well-chosen assortment;

the opportunity to dress fashionably and, most importantly, cheaply - even if the buyer is not buying clothes, but, for example, watches, he always has the opportunity to choose a fashionable wardrobe according to affordable prices during overseas business trips.

The disadvantages of the profession of a buyer

You shouldn't think that bayer's work- a continuous holiday and a lot of fun. First of all, this is a rather complicated, very nervous and responsible work, the results of which determine the profitability of the outlet. In addition, the work of the buyer has such disadvantages as:

irregular working hours (it would even be more correct to say that such a specialist works 24 hours a day);
regular business trips that take up most of the working time;
large financial risks, especially if the purchase of an assortment for stores was invested own funds bayer.

Where can you get a profession of a bayer?

Unfortunately, standard programs for the preparation of buyers have not yet been presented in Russian universities. Therefore, you will have to master this profession on your own, both in theory and in practice. Good start Bayer's career can become a sales assistant in a boutique. If you really want to get professional education, then you can turn your attention to universities that teach the basics of marketing, economics and management (for example, the Faculty of Economics of the Higher School of Economics).

You can get specialized education only in such foreign educational institutions as:

(Fashion Business program)
School of Fashion and Design "Istituto Marangoni" (program fashion business & brand management)
London College of Fashion (Buying and Merchandising program)

Bayer is the one every sane designer wants to be friends with. Not only do they influence what people wear, but they also dictate what items to add to the brand's next collection based on sales. Bayer is not always a person with some kind of impeccable taste (although without him - nowhere), rather, he is well versed in numbers and has a commercial flair. The seller can also become a buyer of clothes: it is enough to show the store that you know what the buyer needs. Look At Me spoke about the profession with people who are engaged in buying and retail in Russia to understand where to study, what to read and who to follow in order to master the necessary skills.

Why good taste is nothing
without knowledge of economics

Bernardo Paoli

British teacher
higher school of design

The Fashion Business program is specially designed for those who want to understand how the fashion industry works and how to calculate everything correctly. economic indicators successful business in this area. Much attention is paid to analytics and the study of market demand, since they are the fundamental factors of a successful business. For the job of a buyer, these are key skills.

Of course, buying can be learned. What cannot be learned is the love of fashion and beautiful things that should be in the blood. The ability to analyze sales data from previous seasons, knowledge of textiles and trends, the ability to feel the needs and wishes of the brand's target audience - all these skills are easy to acquire. Experience is also important: all your knowledge needs to be tested empirically, repeatedly going to the West for purchases. At first there will be errors, but they will become less over time. You can't be a good buyer without knowledge of economics, but with good taste. Purchases are the result of accurate calculations. Bad buying is bad business. Buyers "on feelings" are capable of destroying any, even the most successful, business. The most important recommendation: do not use the criterion in procurement: "I like it, so buyers will like it." Bayer works on the basis of accurate data.

Bayer is a very responsible job, as the success of the fashion business depends primarily on the assortment of goods in the boutique. If a buyer enters your boutique and does not find what he expected to find, this is primarily a buyer's mistake. Bayer is always extreme. That is why in Moscow there is such a boring assortment in boutiques: buyers are afraid of mistakes and buy every new season same thing, mostly basic stuff.

How buyers work
independent projects

Anonymous buyer

"Kuznetsky most 20"

In buying, you need to know not only and not so much fashion trends as everything that happens in the world around you, in politics, art, and even in animal husbandry. We conduct constant research on the Internet, as well as books, press, friends, blogs. In addition, Kuznetsky Most 20 has already gained a good image on the world market - every day we receive dozens of offers from brands, including very worthy ones.

We often choose key, strong models from shows. At first, customers may not decide to buy such things, but fashionistas hunt for them at discounts. We always believe 100% in the things we buy and bring. If the purchase is unsuccessful, the next one will be more successful!

The schedule varies greatly depending on the time of year. During the periods of preparation for the purchase and directly buying sessions, the schedule is very busy, literally 24/7. Around the middle of the season, there is time to take a break, meditate, look for new interesting things. But I have no right to relax - I analyze sales, maintain contacts with designers and suppliers, and monitor customs affairs.

First of all, clarity, responsibility and logical thinking. Also great taste and ability to understand the needs of the audience. Also, intuition is a great quality for a buyer. People who are not friends with tables, mathematics and statistics should not go into buying, but simply love fashion.

About how from a sales assistant
grow into a luxury account buyer
and not die at fashion weeks

Sergei Yezhov

Bayer Aizel Moscow

I often see trainings and courses for buyers (I even attended some), but most often these are lectures about nothing and with very subjective information, but at the same time they cost quite decent money. You can become a Bayer through long and productive work in this industry. I started 10 years ago, like many in the profession, as a sales assistant. Within a year, I was able to develop a good client base and asked for a promotion to a VIP account manager. Then there was a rather long period of direct sales and high performance. I wanted to further develop in this area and it was interesting for me to participate in the selection of collections and in planning the assortment of the boutique (at that time I worked in a large multi-brand store). And they gave me that opportunity. For eight years I have worked on several projects - from mono-brand boutiques to departmens store.

I can't tell you exactly how to develop a commercial sense - it seems that infrared vision can be taught with the same success. I'm sure it only comes with experience. Any new brand is a risk! And not just for aesthetic reasons. All eminent and historically established brands already have their own production base, factories, clear logistics and delivery systems. And young and new designers place their orders on other people's productions and sometimes they don’t even understand how they can accurately and on time produce and deliver the order.

If you turn back the time five years ago, the process of finding new brands was much more difficult. Then there were not so many fashion portals, websites, blogs, magazines, etc. And you could look for new brands only at exhibitions or on the recommendations of familiar buyers, and by visiting a huge number of showrooms. Now that the fashion industry is becoming more and more globalized, the search is becoming more comfortable. On the Internet, you can see the collection of a designer you like, or they are talked about as a beginner and up-and-coming, and you can set up a meeting with the designer to see his clothes and ideas live.

People who formed their opinions based on magazine articles, think that bayer - it's such a celestial

The number of myths about buyers is huge! People who have not worked in this position or have formed their opinion on the basis of magazine articles think that a buyer is such a celestial who flies from New York to Milan, from there to Paris, goes to shows, attends various parties, and during breaks finds time to run into the showroom and select a collection for the boutique. To be honest, when I first started buying, I imagined it that way. Once I tried to combine visits to shows with visits to showrooms, and on the fifth day I realized that I could not get out of bed in the morning from fatigue, so I forgot about the shows a long time ago! And the working day during the buying session starts at 9-10 am and ends at 19-21 pm. We've had business trips where we had 10-12 meetings every day, it's very hard. By the end of the day, it’s already difficult for you to distinguish one designer from another and you don’t understand what is happening around you at all. But then you pull yourself together and turn on, because sales and the work of the boutique depend on our choice. But there are no less advantages in this profession. Foreign trips four times a year; meeting a huge number of people who, like you, work in this area or around it; to see and select what they will wear in a year; Well, first of all, it's a great experience!

When I come from purchases at the Weeks, I begin to coordinate the purchase with the management. Reconsider or make changes. And then the most routine work begins - letters. Every day, about 100 letters with changes, confirmations, etc. go through my mail. Communication with suppliers and our partners is one of my main responsibilities. In addition, there is also work with clients in the hall - this helps to feel feedback from customers, their desires and needs.

What should a buyer have? A clear sense of what your client wants! Feel the trends and bestsellers for the season ahead! Never think that you know everything and everything in this profession! Recognize your mistakes and victories!

10 things to know
about fashion business in Russia,
according to Denis Erkhov, Director of ITEMS

For whom?

“From the very beginning, the buyer must turn on the imagination. The choice of each brand, item, color and material must be addressed to the buyer. You should always imagine who will wear and how he will use this thing from start to finish. Will it be convenient to ride in the subway or by car in this, will it not be hot at work, will they even let you into the office in this, will it be easy to clean it after the party. Many companies spend millions to understand who their target customer is. The more you know, the better. You should not focus on yourself, at least only on yourself.

“Stories are sold, not rags. The concept is almost the only thing that now distinguishes one thing from another. There are a million brands, but not all of them have their own USP. It can be a story about belonging to a particular culture, about some special production and manufacture. Each store carries a certain message, and the more clearly it formulates it, the more likely it is to attract a buyer.”

Dimensions

“All brands have their target markets. Many Asian brands are incompatible with life outside of Asia. Often their L-sizes barely fit Russian S or even XS. Australian and northern brands are often designed for taller and larger people, which also causes some problems. By the way, the craze for sports and the right lifestyle also greatly affects the purchased sizes, one might say, people are losing weight. Small sizes are becoming more and more popular. Clothes should always be measured on the order and take into account all the physical features of potential buyers.

Prices

“In Russia, unlike in Europe, the prices for the same brands and even the same things are almost everywhere different! Constant price monitoring is essential. If you can find lower prices somewhere, this does not quite mean that they are more honest, perhaps someone is just dumping, selling brands at a lower cost, but this is rare.”

Everything has
own price

“It often happens that you get acquainted with a brand: the concept is nothing, and things are wearable, and now it seems that you are ready to write an order. You take a linesheet, and all desire disappears. A white basic T-shirt cannot be purchased for 90 euros. T-shirts in general should not cost more than 100 euros in retail! So do not go too far - your buyer is unlikely to want to buy a simple cotton sweatshirt for 20,000 rubles.

Who is standing behind the brand

“Math is math, but what really matters is who is behind the brand. Teamwork is really important. The most valuable brands are those that maintain a balance between commerce and concept. One cannot exist without the other. Brands, as a rule, set their own conditions for payments, delivery times, and places of sale, but we must not forget that everything is based not on things, but on human factor, which means you need to be able to negotiate.

Where is taken

“The label “made in…” will always have a significant role. Despite the fact that anywhere you can produce a thing of excellent quality, a huge range production capacity in China often spoils the image of this region. Often things produced there are better than European production, due to advanced technologies. But non-Asian origin will always remain one of the final pluses when choosing this or that thing in front of the checkout. However, the whole world is made in China.”

Total bow

“As a rule, in order to convey the spirit of the brand, one T-shirt or one beautiful printed trousers is not enough. Attitude to the brand is built from the big picture! Consumers like to mix different brands, but each subconsciously relies on the aesthetics that the brand carries. Of course, you should not include all brands here. Often, brands can only do one thing, like sweatshirts, but they don’t need to do more.”

Russian way and borrowing

“Never listen to what other countries advise. When you start working with a brand, the presentation of the collection always starts in and out. The likelihood that European or Asian bestsellers will coincide with ours is minimal, unless, of course, we are talking about Kenzo tiger sweatshirts. It's not about who thinks what is beautiful. Banal climatic conditions come to the fore, as well as mental features. In Denmark, leather jackets and light raincoats WOOD WOOD fly like hot cakes, of course, we also sell them, but they can be worn at most three weeks a year, or even less. In the same place, by the way, the more fun the shirt, the more likely it is to be bought. With us, a shirt should remain a shirt, white or gray, the main thing is comfortable and simple, otherwise you never know what.

Shoes

“Unlike Europe, we have a cult of heels. This gives the girls femininity, tenderness and a sense of celebration. It's mentality, it's beautiful. It doesn't matter if it's high or low. Heels will always outweigh here. There is an opinion that clothing brands make shoes much worse than highly specialized shoe brands - one cannot but agree with this. It’s too complicated a process to make high-quality and wearable shoes.”