A merchandiser is involved in the entire process of curating a product. 62% of merchandisers work in full-time successful career roles while 32% work part-time. But, one has to be aware of all the appropriate information for a bright career opportunity.

The courses to pursue to become a merchandiser are Diploma in Visual Merchandising, Diploma in Fashion Merchandising, BDes with specialization in fashion and merchandising, Certificate course in Visual Merchandising, Online Courses on Retail Management. BDes or Bachelor of Design is the most popular course students pursue to become a merchandiser in India.

Students with a degree in supply chain management courses, business management courses and administration are also eligible to become a merchandiser. Candidates must have passed 10+2 higher education in any stream from a recognized board. Read More: How to Become a Fashion Designer

Although there is no prerequisite for subjects you need to specialize in for a career in merchandising, subjects like marketing, economics, and commerce-related subjects can help you understand the aspects of merchandising better. After completion of the course, Students can look for full-time or part-time Jobs in Merchandising as Fashion, Visual, Retail, Retail Buyer Merchandisers for which they can get an average salary of INR 1,20,000 - INR 10,00,000.

How to Become A Merchandiser: Quick Facts

All About Career as a Merchandiser

The steps to becoming a merchandiser depend on the industry and sector, a candidate elects to. A career in merchandising is very popular due to its high demand in almost every sector. Thus a candidate interested in becoming a merchandiser must plan accordingly right from class 12.

There is no such particular subject combination one needs to follow, as a candidate in any stream can become a merchandiser. Yet, marketing degrees or subjects in class 12 or throughout graduation can prove advantageous in this career.

If you are aspiring to become a merchandiser, make sure to follow the below-enumerated criteria:

• Candidates need to complete higher education 10+2 or equivalent in any stream from a recognized board.
• The candidate must hold an undergraduate degree in any stream as there is no such prescribed degree for this career.
• Although certain industries also hire candidates with diploma or certificate in Merchandising.
• A candidate with a postgraduate degree has more wider opportunities in this career.

Types of Merchandisers

Career as a Merchandiser offers extremely gratifying job opportunities in the career sector. Enthusiastic candidates can look out for alternatives listed below to pursue a career in the merchandiser sector.

Visual Merchandiser 

The role of the visual merchandiser is to develop and curate eye-catching designs, displays and store layouts to grasp the attention of the consumer.

General Merchandiser 

The Merchandiser works interrelatedly with both the supplier and manufacturers. They help in promoting as well as predicting the sales trends and managing the stock levels.

Retail Merchandiser 

They are crucial in working very closely with company buyers. They ensure to maximize the profitability through controlling and managing the stock levels.

Fashion Merchandiser 

They are responsible for forecasting the popularity of recent fashion trends. They determine the price and sale price for clothing to the retailers.

Retail Buyer 

The retail buyer role is to select, plan, and outline the purchase quantities of goods and merchandise that are sold in the retail outlets.

Retail Store Manager 

They are highly responsible for the management of day-to-day management of retail operations.

Steps to Follow to Become a Merchandiser 

There are 5 main steps individuals need to follow to get their hands on the best opportunity in the merchandising industry. If you are seeking the same, make sure to implement the below-enumerated steps:

Make a Decision 

The first step is to ensure that you really want to pursue this career. Make sure to set up your mind in which sector you wanna take forward your merchandising career. As there are various segments in an economy which require merchandisers.

Choose The Right Academic Subjects

• Although, there is no such requirement of subject combination for becoming a Merchandiser.
• Yet, usually, many employees prefer candidates who hold associate degrees in the merchandising field such as economics, marketing, business management, supply chain management, or business administration.
• The most preferred and usual degree is marketing which is held by 10% of the merchandiser found today in every sector.

Choose The Most Suitable College Or Institute 

• The merchandising course is also provided online by many platforms by providing certification or diploma courses in it. A candidate according to its requirement can opt for the same.
• Generally, private institutes provide ample platforms for aspiring merchandiser candidates, hence there are many privately owned institutions that offer certificate, diploma and UG courses in Merchandising.
• The popular colleges where you can find good merchandising courses are NIFT, Pearl Academy, Symbiosis Pune, Mody University, and JD institute of fashion technology.

Earn A Certificate In Merchandising 

• Even after your graduation, you can opt for taking a certificate in merchandising in your specific choice of the sector.
• For example- If you wanna pursue fashion merchandising, and you are holding a bachelors of art degree then a specialized certificate in fashion merchandising will add value to your career.

Pursue Internships as Merchandiser 

Start your career working at a junior level in the respective field of merchandiser of yours. Most professionals with a minimum of 1-year of relevant experience are offered a decent job profile as well as salary.

How to Become a Merchandiser in India 

• There is no such need for choosing a particular stream for pursuing a merchandiser career. Yet, a commerce field with business management studies can prove beneficial for the candidate in the long-run as it will give an overview how the supply management chain works.
• After class 12th. A candidate with a marketing degree has significant influence on the mind of the recruiter as it is directly related to the merchandiser career.
• Also, with a certificate and diploma course, aspiring merchandisers can grow or add value to their career.
• At this stage the candidate needs to decide in which category sector they wanna pursue further career as merchandiser, ie as a fashion or visual or retail merchandiser.
• Once you decide in which sector you want to work in, training and other aspects will be more smoother.

Courses to become a Merchandiser 

Depending upon the type of merchandiser you want to become, a candidate can opt various courses for it. 

• The popular courses to become a merchandiser in India are: Diploma in Visual Merchandising, Diploma in Fashion Merchandising, BDes in Fashion or Merchandising.
• Along with these you can also pursue certificate courses in Visual Merchandising, or online courses in Retail Merchandising to have a step ahead and get better job opportunities.
• Although employers prefer those who have pursued the merchandising courses mentioned above, students with a degree in economics, supply chain management, business management or business administration are also eligible to become a merchandiser in India.

Diploma in Visual Merchandising 

• Diploma in Visual Merchandising is a 3 months-1 year duration diploma course which focuses on key aspects of advertising, branding and retail merchandising.
• Students with 50% marks in class 10+2 are eligible to pursue Diploma in Visual Merchandising after class 12. 
• Most Diploma in Visual Merchandising Colleges accept admissions based on merit, but few colleges such as NIFT conduct NIFT entrance exams.
• NIFT Delhi, Pearl Academy New Delhi, Parul University Vadodara, JD Institute of Fashion Technology Delhi are top colleges that offer Diploma in Visual Merchandising course. 

Diploma in Fashion Merchandising 

• Diploma in Fashion Merchandising is a post graduate diploma course for varying duration of 1-2 years. It is commonly abbreviated as PGD-FM.
• Students after graduation from any stream or even after MBA can pursue Diploma in Fashion Merchandising, however colleges prefer students from commerce/economics background.
• Currently in India, Pearl Academy and Mody University, Rajasthan offer PG diploma in fashion merchandising.
• The admission process in both of the colleges is based on merit scores. 

BDes (Fashion And Merchandising) 

• BDes course, specializing in Fashion and Merchandising is a 4 year undergraduate course that can be pursued after class 12 or a diploma course in Merchandising or related fields.
• A candidate with 50% marks in class 12th or diploma is eligible for BDes course. The admission to BDes is based on the scores in AIEED, SEED, DAT, Pearl Academy and NIFT entrance exams.
• NIFT Delhi, NIFT Ahmedabad, Pearl Academy and Symbiosis Pune are the top colleges that offer BDes courses with specialization in Fashion and Merchandising.
• BDes is the most popular course when it comes to pursue a career in Merchandising. After this course, you're eligible to earn a salary of INR 3-6 LPA working in top companies such as Tata Elxsi, Amazon, Myntra, ZARA, H&M, Raymond Company. 

Certificate in Visual Merchandising

• Certificate in Visual Merchandising can be pursued as an add on course while you pursue a diploma or bachelor of design in visual merchandising.
• Certificates in Visual Merchandising are offered online, on websites such as skillshare and udemy in collaboration with top merchandising colleges abroad.
• Certificate in Visual Merchandising course can vary for a duration of few hours to few months. They can be pursued as per your own convenience and time schedule.
• Udemy offers a Visual Merchandising Course For Retailers and Students course at a cost of INR 455.
• There is no eligibility criteria nor any fixed admission process for certificate courses in Visual Merchandising, a student can directly pay the tuition fees and pursue the course, provided that he has an interest in concepts of merchandising.

Online Courses in Retail Merchandising 

Retail Merchandiser is basically available as online courses for a duration of 1 month to maximum 1 year. Here are some top online courses you can opt for retail merchandiser:

• How to bring more shoppers into retail stores- Kevin Moore.
• Retail maths for merchandiser and buyers- Shashank Jani
• Store design and merchandising- Diana Paiva

Other Courses to Become A Merchandiser 

• The top recruiters in the merchandising sector prefer candidates who have pursued the courses mentioned above, however it has been observed that students with a degree in economics, supply chain management, business administration or business management are also able to make up a career as a merchandiser.
• These students can become a merchandiser by either pursuing a short-term certificate course or online course in merchandising, so that they are well-versed with the basic concepts of merchandising.

Check:

How to become a Merchandiser Abroad? 

Canada, UK, and Australia are the top countries students choose to pursue a career in merchandising. Some of the top colleges that offer various merchandising courses abroad are mentioned below:

Benefits of Career as a Merchandiser 

Being a Merchandiser can surely serve one many advantageous aspects to their career. If you are quite passionate about the career then many opportunities are open for you. Here we are addressing some of the major benefits of this course:

Salary 

A merchandiser typically earns an average salary of INR 3,53,784 LPA in India. As the experience adds up, candidates can further have good hikes from this profession.