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Fashion merchandiser vs fashion buyer

The differences between fashion merchandisers and fashion buyers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fashion buyer has an average salary of $56,120, which is higher than the $51,801 average annual salary of a fashion merchandiser.

The top three skills for a fashion merchandiser include customer service, sales floor and visual presentation. The most important skills for a fashion buyer are vendor relations, gross margin, and market trends.

Fashion merchandiser vs fashion buyer overview

Fashion MerchandiserFashion Buyer
Yearly salary$51,801$56,120
Hourly rate$24.90$26.98
Growth rate1%-
Number of jobs68,23015,688
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4044
Years of experience-4

Fashion merchandiser vs fashion buyer salary

Fashion merchandisers and fashion buyers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fashion MerchandiserFashion Buyer
Average salary$51,801$56,120
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $72,000Between $40,000 And $78,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateIndiana-
Best paying companyS&G-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between fashion merchandiser and fashion buyer education

There are a few differences between a fashion merchandiser and a fashion buyer in terms of educational background:

Fashion MerchandiserFashion Buyer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorSpecialized Sales And MerchandisingSpecialized Sales And Merchandising
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Fashion merchandiser vs fashion buyer demographics

Here are the differences between fashion merchandisers' and fashion buyers' demographics:

Fashion MerchandiserFashion Buyer
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 18.2% Female, 81.8%Male, 15.5% Female, 84.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 5.3% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 5.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage17%9%

Differences between fashion merchandiser and fashion buyer duties and responsibilities

Fashion merchandiser example responsibilities.

  • Manage backroom/stock room inventory by organizing pallets, stacking and storing product inventory.
  • Disassemble and construct wine and spirit departments for key accounts following detail product schematics.
  • Assist outside vendor merchandisers (NIKE) with execution of planograms.

Fashion buyer example 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.

Fashion merchandiser vs fashion buyer skills

Common fashion merchandiser skills
  • Customer Service, 34%
  • Sales Floor, 23%
  • Visual Presentation, 8%
  • Store Management, 7%
  • Merchandise Presentation, 6%
  • Inventory Control, 4%
Common fashion buyer skills
  • Vendor Relations, 14%
  • Gross Margin, 11%
  • Market Trends, 11%
  • Vendor Communication, 10%
  • Product Selection, 9%
  • Payment Terms, 5%

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