How to hire a fashion buyer

How to hire a fashion buyer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fashion buyer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a fashion buyer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fashion buyer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a fashion buyer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The fashion buyer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a fashion buyer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a fashion buyer that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of fashion buyers.

   Type of Fashion Buyer	Description	Hourly rate
   Fashion Buyer	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$19-37
   Merchandise Planner	A merchandise planner is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of stock inventories and requesting purchase orders by researching current market trends to meet customer demands. Merchandise planners assist with marketing campaigns and promotional offers of the business, selling goods and services to the customers based on their needs and budget requirements... Show more	$22-49
   Healthcare Consultant	Utilizing their expertise in the healthcare industry, a healthcare consultant specializes in conducting extensive research and analysis to devise strategies for optimal workplace operations. They typically coordinate with different departments to gather data, identify strengths and weaknesses in existing systems, develop plans to improve particular areas, propose budgets and business plans, and recommend measures to optimize processes... Show more	$30-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Vendor Relations
   • Gross Margin
   • Market Trends
   • Vendor Communication
   • Product Selection
   • Payment Terms
   • Sales Floor
   • Sales Trends
   • OTB
   • Trade Shows
   • Product Development
   • Sales Performance
   • POS
   • Photo Shoots

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage open-to-buy to ensure continual flow of merchandise to stores and warehouses with careful attention to advertise events and promotions.
   • React to update OTB, markdowns and other financial markers on a regular basis.
   • Evaluate sales records and inventory levels to determine appropriate product requirements for a wide variety of automotive and industrial commodities.
   • Originate BOM structure for production operations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fashion buyer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A fashion buyer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, fashion buyers' average salary in hawaii is 42% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fashion buyers 49% less than senior-level fashion buyers.
   • Certifications. A fashion buyer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a fashion buyer's salary.

   Average fashion buyer salary

   $56,120yearly

   $26.98 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fashion buyer salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a fashion buyer job description

   A fashion buyer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fashion buyer job description:

   Fashion buyer job description example

   Uptown Cheapskate in Hilliard is searching for unique, fashion minded individuals who can work in this fast paced position and understand
   
   This position is idea for fashion loving individuals who love to show their lives, and their fashion sense on social media. Uptown Cheapskate is a buy, sell, trade fashion store for young adults! We offer a fast paced retail environment that focuses on buying in great inventory from our customers and creating a unique shopping experience for all customers.
   
   So if you have a passion for fashion, and working in a fast paced environment with exposure to tons of great fashion each day, then this might be for you!
   Buyer: Participate in buying in gently used brand name clothing, accessories, and shoes from customers Provide excellent customer service through brand knowledge and style knowledge Participate in visual merchandising of store and overall experience May also perform other duties required of Fashion Consultants Can help upper level management in selection of new product styles for store Participate in growing our Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok profiles by helping creating unique content. This may included live videos for sale promotions to dancing in a TikTok challenge. This usually means FUN!
   
   Our ideal candidates are:
   
   Good communicators Excellent at assessing customers' interests and needs Knowledgeable about current fashion trends and extensive knowledge of brands and pricing Fast learners Multi-taskers Flexible Schedules
   
   Requirements:
   
   1 year of retail experience Extensive brand knowledge from loving to shop! Reliable transportation to & from work. Can handle a fast paced / high volume environment Exceptional customer service skills Must be available some evenings, weekends, & holidays.
   
   Uptown Cheapskate offers:
   
   A fun retail environment Competitive pay (commensurate with experience) Great employee discounts Advancement opportunities
   
   If you feel you would be a great fit for our growing company please attach your resume & availability.
   
   This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to BaseCamp Franchising Corporate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find fashion buyers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fashion buyer job on Zippia to find and recruit fashion buyer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting fashion buyers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fashion buyer

   Once you've selected the best fashion buyer candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a fashion buyer?