Shop Like Paris Hilton--With Someone Else's Money

By Clare Kaufman
Learning & Life Columnist
August 24, 2007

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What if shopping filled your bank account instead of draining it? With a degree in marketing or fashion merchandising, you can get paid to shop all day. Buyers build inventory for retail stores, and purchasing agents acquire materials for manufacturers.

Both buyers and purchasing agents make decisions based on price, quality, and an understanding of the target market. They establish relationships with suppliers and negotiate pricing. The position involves marketing and merchandising savvy, since the buyer or purchasing agent must anticipate market trends and consumer behavior. Travel is the norm, since many products and materials come from foreign suppliers. Buyers and purchasing agents also take on the less glamorous aspects of shopping--keeping to a budget and planning inventory.

A Fashion-Forward Career

Retail fashion buyers piece together a store's apparel collection. Trend spotting is a major job qualification. Since buyers place orders well in advance--sometimes over a year before the merchandise hits the racks--they must stay a step ahead of the market, reading the minds of the fashion designers and customers. Buyers attend trade shows, and upscale fashion buyers may even make an appearance at the runway shows of major designers.

Learning to Shop

You may have been born with a talent for finding the best deal, but a career as a commercial buyer requires a bachelor's degree as well. Online degrees in fashion marketing or fashion merchandising offer the necessary business and technical skills. Business coursework should cover quantitative market research, financial analysis and budgeting, and merchandising strategy. Technical training should prepare a buyer to use budgeting software, sales and inventory databases, and electronic purchasing systems.

Purchasing agents and retail buyers earned a median income of $42,230 in 2004. Successful buyers who demonstrate results can command up to $100,000. Buyers and purchasing agents begin as assistants, but move up to full responsibility within three to five years.

There's no reason your hobby can't also be your career. If you love a treasure hunt and have a knack for landing the best deal, you might have what it takes to become a professional buyer.

Source

Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Purchasing Managers, Buyers, and Purchasing Agents"

About the Author
Clare Kaufman is a freelance writer who covers education and career-related topics. She has a graduate degree in English.

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