Bayer is the profession of the future. Basic requirements for the buyer's personality. Management courses: profession "buyer"

10.10.2019

The profession of a buyer appeared in Russia relatively recently, although the activity itself, denoted by this word, has been carried out for a long time. The name "buyer" is translated from English as "purchaser". This is a person whose task is to attend various fashion shows and negotiate with representatives fashion houses, view catalogs of new products and track fashion trends. The result and ultimate goal of the buyer is the purchase of fashionable items and accessories, and the customer can be either a boutique or a store, or a private individual who always wants to keep up with the times (here the buyer’s profession partly overlaps with the profession of a personal image maker). Sometimes you can come across a name such as “selector” (“the one who chooses”).

Scheme of cooperation between buyer and customer

The activity of a buyer may be associated with a certain specialization, and the area of this specialization may include:

a certain category of clothing, shoes or accessories (for example, women's or men's clothing);
products of a certain brand;
products manufactured in a specific country or region;
when working for a private person - products suitable for the customer, the categories of which are agreed upon in advance.

If a buyer works as a full-time specialist, then he receives a salary like any other employee of the organization (fashion boutique or specialty store), usually at least 100 thousand rubles per month. We are talking about organizations that represent the products of various companies in their assortment, and not about those who act as the official representative of a certain brand. If the buyer cooperates with private clients, then payment for his services is carried out by the hour or by the day. On average, the cost of one day of work for a professional buyer can be in rubles from 500 per hour and from 5000 per day. However, prices are always very variable. The more experienced and recognized the buyer is, the higher the cost of his services.

The main work patterns of a buyer are cooperation with a specific organization on the basis of a permanent contract or work with clients under a contract. IN the latter case a buyer rarely works alone - this scheme is losing relevance, and much more often buyers unite into professional agencies or use the services of account managers.

Certain types of work that a buyer can perform

The ultimate goal of a buyer is to acquire fashion products for further sale or for private use. During the execution of the order, the buyer may be faced with the need to engage in the following activities:

visiting fashion exhibitions, shows and presentations;
communication with representatives of fashion houses, fashion designers, designers and managers of manufacturing companies;
studying catalogs, often exclusive, online or offline;
purchase and transportation of trial lots and samples;
accompanying the customer during a personal shopping tour;
selection and purchase of product batches in agreement with the customer.

The buyer's work plan is approved in the contract with him, but he always needs to be prepared for the fact that working conditions will change. Force majeure plays a very significant role in the buyer’s activities.

Professional qualities and education required by a buyer

To work as a buyer, you must have some important qualities:

impeccable taste and ability to understand fashion - without this, work will be impossible;
ease of climbing - as much as possible for modern man at all. The prospect of packing up and heading to another city or another country in a couple of hours should not seem like something out of the ordinary;
communication skills - will definitely come in handy when communicating with representatives of manufacturing companies, sellers and experts;
for international activities - fluency in languages, at least English or the language of the country where the target product is produced;
basic knowledge in psychology - to study the needs of the target audience or individual customer.

Of course, there should be no problems with traveling abroad and with personal documents. As for education, the specialty closest to the buyer’s profession is “Management and Fashion Theory,” but it is not yet widespread. Managers, merchandise experts, stylists, designers, and fashion designers have every chance of becoming professional buyers.

Pros and cons, prospects of the profession

The indisputable advantages of being a buyer are:

opportunity to engage in responsible, but extremely interesting thing, and always be aware of the latest fashion trends;
meeting new people, traveling around cities and countries without extra expenses;
in the future - authority among representatives creative professions, opening up opportunities for career growth.

The main disadvantage is the subjectivity of the assessments. The concepts of beauty, aesthetics, and grace are not fixed anywhere and cannot be fully regulated. Simply put, there is no match for taste and color, and therefore the buyer always has the chance to face the fact that products selected in full accordance with the trend and ideal from the point of view of all the canons of the fashion world will not satisfy the customer. Nevertheless, the prospects for such a profession are simply enormous. Over time, Bayer has every chance to both occupy one of the management positions in the organization for which he works, and become an expert in the fashion world, whose word will have considerable weight.

If you decide to become a professional buyer, then even before you start your work, it is important to follow a few tips:

An impeccable image and the ability to conduct a conversation are essential. Anyone who understands fashion products should be a model of style themselves. However, business appearance and sociability should in no case be confused with pretentiousness or eccentricity - they certainly will not help achieve a good result.
It is important to prepare for international and intercity trips in advance. First of all, you need to get a passport and always have communication devices with you (phone, tablet, laptop).
Events in the fashion world need to be regularly monitored, analyzed and forecasted. News channels dedicated to fashion, as well as publications, including on the Internet, and expert opinions should become an integral part of life.

Bayer- without exaggeration, this is a man who shapes the world of fashion. Sometimes consumer preferences in a particular city or region can depend only on his choice and his opinion. By taking a responsible approach to your work, you can turn your passion for fashion into a professional activity and turn it into a source of significant income.

Sasha prepared for this position for almost two years - she went to shows of fashion brands, got acquainted with how collections are purchased in BOSCO DI CILIEGI stores. And now she herself is the buyer and manager of the youth multi-brand BOSCO Pi. Sasha decides which brands will be presented in the new season, selects the most interesting models from collections. Not only women's, but also men's brands! Everything that happens in the store - from choosing a strategy to merchandising and the work schedule of sellers - is under her control.

Alexandra Varchuk found time in her busy schedule to chat with readers of the site in our group and answer all questions via online conference.

— On the Internet and various articles, very complex, extensive and often almost opposite definitions of the buyer’s profession are given. Could you tell us in a nutshell what kind of profession this is? Did you purposefully apply for it or was it just a matter of chance?
- In a nutshell, a buyer is a person who purchases collections for the store for which he works. What we see in stores is not the entire collection that designers produce. This is the choice that the buyer makes when coming to the showroom. This choice was conscious and supported by a lot of analytical work carried out throughout the season: what was sold in the store, what was not, what the client’s needs were, how quickly the collection was sold, and how the consumer perceived it, what fabrics were successful or not, and a lot of others aspects. Therefore, the process of selecting a collection is only a small, perhaps the most enjoyable part of the work process, behind which there are many months of numbers.

When I started working for the company, I could only dream of the position I occupy now. But circumstances developed in such a way that they chose me for the youth project. For my management, there was a certain risk in this step, because I had never worked in trade. In order to take up the position, I trained for more than a year.

— This kind of work is my dream! How to achieve this goal? How to become a successful buyer? I'm 18 and I'm interested in fashion, I'm studying to become an art critic, I'm constantly trying to develop my taste and follow trends. Where to begin? Who to learn from?
- In my opinion, successful components given profession: flair, good taste, healthy pragmatism, ability to work with numbers, analyze, communicate and defend your point of view. To my great regret, we do not yet have professional education in the field of buying; this is not taught anywhere, because... the profession appeared relatively recently. While doing my internship, I started as a salesperson, because... the whole process must be known from the inside, from the basics. You must know who your client is, be able to communicate with him and understand what he needs in order to bring it. I had the best teacher and leader you could imagine. She, a high-class professional, took it upon herself to teach me everything, simply because she saw in me shoots that could be developed. She supports and helps me still, and is for me best example not only in the professional field, but also in life.

— Where do you need to study for this and where do you go to get a job as a buyer?
- Unfortunately, we do not yet have professional education in the field of buying. This area of activity has emerged relatively recently and the specialists actively working in it now come from different fields - some received a financial education, some received an artistic education. You learn best by doing, because... Each company has its own subtleties. As for where you can get a job, I would advise choosing large companies with a good reputation that are involved in retail.

- What and what colors of clothing will be fashionable in 2013?
- If speak about winter 2013, then the most popular palette is muted colors precious stones: emerald, ruby, sapphire. After the riot of colors in the summer of 2012, black, which had been out of favor for several seasons, returned and took the main position. Keeps up with black and Blue colour in various interpretations. By the way, most of the models from the Stella McCartney winter collection are based on the combination of blue and black. Main trends: baroque, men's style and leather.

Summer collections 2013 have already been purchased and fashion weeks have passed, so we can safely say that the main color of summer 2013 will be yellow, which flashed on the catwalk more often than others. An equally active trend will be black and white graphics, on which the entire Louis Vuitton summer collection is built. The theme of sporty chic and cropped tops will continue from the last summer season. Those who love romance will be delighted by the number of frills and floral prints that have appeared in summer collections.

— My height is 158 cm, what will suit me to visually look taller?
- I’ll start with the fact that, in my opinion, you are lucky, because being miniature has forever made you feminine and beautiful. I won’t list here any basic rules, such as “don’t wear horizontal stripes or skirts below the knee”, all this has been written a million times before me and is actually not entirely relevant. My advice: open your legs, wear heels and you will always look great.

— There will be sales in stores soon: what things to buy? I want to make purchases that you will carry for years. And what clothes should you not pay attention to? After all, it happens: you buy something, but never wear it.
- In my opinion, there is such a basic set of things that can be worn for more than one season and on which you should not skimp. These are the ones you can look for at sales, because our Moscow prices are often worthless. So, these are: high-quality jeans (it’s better to buy brands that specialize in denim), cashmere sweater, white shirt, shoes, bag, coat. These are the things that simply must be of high quality. Everything else is up to your taste. The main thing: remember that the thing you buy needs to be worn with something, quickly come up with several sets and imagine that you will wear them over the next few days. If you have scored at least 3, feel free to buy. Practice shows that if you buy a thing in the hope of later finding something to go with it, it will lie in your closet waiting in the wings for more than one day. Although there are exceptions.

- They say that style begins with the little things. Tell me, what “little things” will be relevant this winter?
- I would focus on several details:
1. Detachable collar. Nowadays you can find a great variety of them. Embroidered with pearls or stones will give a completely new look to an ordinary dress; plastic can be worn with a denim or plaid shirt.
2. Gloves. And forget about the bag-belt-gloves-shoes rule of the same color. Check out Tommy Ton's street style photography of Fashion Week guests. He knows how to highlight the beauty of details.
3. Shoes and bags. This season, many designers have decorated shoes and bags with fur. Pay attention to models in colors that are trending this season: deep blue, cherry, emerald, as well as small bags stylized as military tablets.
4. As for shoes, you can forget about heels for a while. It is better to give preference to boots in a men's style, as in the collection of Marc Jacobs or Burberry Prorsum
5. Large decorations are required. Chandelier earrings, voluminous multi-row necklaces with large stones, large rings and bracelets.

— Fashion and style are different things, but they are closely intertwined. Where is the golden mean in order to always look relevant?
— Coco Chanel answered this question best: “First of all, it’s style. Fashion goes out of fashion. Style - never! I can add on my own behalf - never wear something that doesn’t suit you, even if it is very fashionable. You still look your best in clothes you feel comfortable in.

— What shoes are in fashion this winter?
— In my opinion, preference should be given to men's style boots. Pay attention to the loafers. Such models may have a heel, but, as a rule, it is stable and low. These boots will serve great addition to the men's style that is relevant this season. If you prefer heels, pay attention to richly decorated shoes in the Baroque style, as in the collection of Alexandr McQueen and Dolce&Gabbana. But the general trend is that this winter the heel is becoming more stable and wider.

— What shoes will be in fashion next spring?
“I can say with confidence that the pointed toe is coming back.” This is an almost obligatory detail of shoes, ankle boots and heeled sandals. Ballet flats and sandals still have a rounded toe. The most current color is metallic. From winter comes a stable heel, which in summer is very often made of transparent plastic. One of the main trends will remain “men’s” shoes, but, naturally, in a lightweight version: moccasins, loafers with thin leather soles in bright colors. Architectural shoes with lots of details will be more relevant than ever. I advise you to pay attention to shoes with platforms: it is advisable that the platform be decorated with appliqués or prints.

Photo from the personal archive of Alexandra Varchuk.

Now many professions have begun to appear, the names of which come from foreign words: managers and merchandisers, raiders and supervisors. We know only approximately the specifics of many of them. I wonder if anyone has heard that there is a profession called buyer? What is included in the specifics and what the buyer does and will go further.

Who is a buyer?

"Buy" - from English. “buy”, but buyer does not mean buyer. This is a person who understands all the fashion news and trends, and will help you choose a certain style of clothing, choose a style that will suit you, and help you decide on the choice of clothing. This is not just a sales consultant, a buyer is a person who knows all the new products fashion shows, he is aware of everything that just came off the catwalks and will be in trend this season. At first glance, this seems like a fairly easy specialty, but this is far from true.().

Features of the buyer's profession

Buyers are hired by small stores - these are not expensive boutiques of famous brands. These stores offer fashionable and stylish clothes of different brands and styles. The buyer’s task is to determine what will be possible next season and what will be in demand. To do this, he must attend shows, follow new trends, and predict what exactly will be worn this season. Moreover, the buyer must calculate the payback of a particular collection. That is, this means that the store’s turnover and its profit rests partly on the shoulders of the buyer. What appears in stores next season depends entirely on the buyers. Even designers listen to their opinions and take them into account when creating new collections.

Pros and cons of the buyer's profession

The main advantages of the profession, because of which young people increasingly want to become buyers, are traveling around the world, entering all fashion shows, meeting fashion couturiers, designers, stylists and others. creative people. Simply put, the buyer is included in elite fashion industry. Well, besides this, he is engaged in creativity, because this work is like art, and if you don’t love it, it’s unlikely that anything will work out. But along with this, there are also disadvantages, such as long working hours, buyers sometimes work for days, constant flights and relocations, which means that a person is constantly away from his family, and the work itself is very responsible, because you need to deal not only with high hopes, which are assigned to a person. but also with a lot of money.

Demand for the buyer profession

This is one of the most sought-after professions in the world. Fashionable clothes, shows, boutiques have always been and will be in our lives, so this profession is at the peak of popularity.

Payment for the buyer's profession

Buyers are often the owners of their own stores and boutiques, so their earnings directly depend on their skills: finding interesting collections and selling them. In the West, a buyer who cooperates with many networks and companies earns about $200-300 thousand, but in our country this amount ranges from $2-10 thousand.

How to become a buyer?

Bayer is not even a profession, but a calling. After all, not every person is naturally blessed with impeccable taste, because this is precisely why we turn to stylists and consultants so that they can help us choose clothes for a specific occasion, combine them, and complement the look with accessories. We can say that the buyer is a distant relative of the stylist. In principle, young people who have studied to become stylists, have experience in trading in the fashion industry, as well as those who are interested in fashion have every chance of becoming a buyer. Well, if you are confident in your own sense of taste, then you may well try yourself in this profession.

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

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

Who is a buyer?

Name profession buyer comes from the English “buyer” (purchaser), and this word fully characterizes the specifics of the activities of these specialists. In other words, a buyer is a specialist responsible for purchasing goods for a particular store (regardless of whether it is a store of branded clothing, expensive accessories or inexpensive analog watches), meeting the needs of the target audience of a particular outlet.

The prototype of this profession can be considered merchants-peddlers, who often went to overseas countries in search of rare goods, and commodity experts, more familiar to the Russian average, who were 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 clothing salesman in a Milan department store.

The buyer's main responsibilities include: analyzing sales data from the previous season, forecasting customer preferences, assessing product quality, 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 almost entirely depends on such personal qualities, How:

initiative;
innate sense of style;
craving for beauty;
good taste;
communication skills;
developed intuition;
sociability;
creativity;
punctuality;
stress resistance;
skill to work in team;
pragmatism;
organizational skills;
developed spatial thinking.

In addition, the buyer must understand fashion trends and thoroughly know the features of the group of goods he is purchasing (for example, if it is fashion buyer, then he must know clothing brands, the properties of fabrics, understand the quality of cutting and sewing, be able to select a size range and color combinations, etc.), have the makings of a psychologist and stylist. It wouldn’t hurt to know at least one thing when working as a buyer foreign language, fundamentals of management, economics, marketing, as well as good command of modern information technologies.

Advantages of being a buyer

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

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

high level of income - because 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 purchasing clothes, but, for example, watches, he always has the opportunity to choose a fashionable wardrobe at affordable prices during business trips abroad.

Disadvantages of the buyer's profession

Don't think that buyer's work– a complete holiday and a lot of fun. First of all, this is quite complex, very nervous and responsible work, the results of which determine the profitability of the outlet. In addition, the work of a buyer has such disadvantages as:

irregular working hours (it would be more correct to say that such a specialist works 24 hours a day);
constant business trips that take up most of the working time;
big financial risks, especially if the stores have invested in purchasing assortment own funds buyer

Where can you get a job as a buyer?

Unfortunately, Russian universities do not yet offer standard programs for training buyers. Therefore, you will have to master this profession on your own, both in theory and in practice. Not a bad start buyer's career could be a job as a sales consultant in a boutique. If you definitely want to get a 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, How:

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

Professional buyers purchase goods and inventory for stores or businesses. Typically they work for small companies, focusing on a specific line, such as clothing or accessories for women. Bayer is a profession that is designed to improve the performance of a company to generate greater profits.

Buyer is a profession

The buyer (from the English buy - buy) must constantly evaluate suppliers and enter into contracts with them. You also need to network and periodically learn about new trends in a given industry by attending exhibitions and conferences. This means that travel both within and outside the country 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 buyer?

This is a specialist who is responsible for purchasing goods certain type for an organization, for example, a store of branded clothing, accessories, children's toys, and so on. As you know, consumer demand is not constant, so it is important to regularly analyze it and focus on the needs of the target audience. A long time ago, something similar was done by merchant peddlers 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 to higher education. Responsibilities include distribution and business administration.

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 particular field. Interns often work under the supervision of experienced buyers and learn about supply and demand, strategic negotiations and inventory management.

You can start with a temporary job (contract) to gain the necessary experience and eventually become a professional buyer. Job responsibilities often include searching for new suppliers, purchasing products at negotiated prices, analyzing business trends and developing business plans. This type of work provides opportunities to develop essential skills and negotiation skills.

Select your purchasing specialization. Employers often look for candidates who have years of experience in specific areas, e.g. food products, cars, children's toys or men's clothing. Choosing a specialization early on can lead to higher-level positions in the future.

Bayer is a profession where after 2-4 years you can become experienced enough to achieve 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 increased pay.

Main responsibilities

The main responsibilities of a professional buyer include:

analysis of last season's sales data;
forecasting customer wishes;
assessment of product quality;
search and purchase of the required assortment;
establishing relationships with suppliers;
professional development by visiting various events, shows and presentations.

Buyer personality requirements

Here is a list of qualities:

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

What advantages does a buyer have?

The profession (you saw a photo of what such specialists can look like above) in the fashion world looks very attractive. Many people want to work in this industry, especially those who are crazy about shows, catwalks, and 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, it can be called a plus big salary, since there are not many advanced specialists, but the demand for their services is quite high. IN modern age consumerism, store owners are ready to part with decent amounts of fees for a well-chosen assortment. Thirdly, the buyer always has the opportunity to dress stylishly and inexpensively himself, for example, during trips abroad.

Difficult and responsible work

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

Fashion related profession

How can you 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 still new and little known for Russia and the CIS countries. But it is precisely on the representatives of this specialty that fashion trends and the profitability of many clothing manufacturers largely depend. What are the characteristics of the buyer profession? Where to study to become a professional buyer?

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

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

Buyers 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 bought and sold; those who know how to do it best make the most money.

Do you know who a media buyer is? Professions related to advertising and media planning are also popular in today's young and rapidly growing companies. The main task is the purchase of advertising platforms and airtime on radio and television. After all, in order to sell something, you must first advertise it correctly.