What can a merchandiser do? Commodity expert is a promising profession

home

Details

The profession of a merchandiser is responsible; he is in charge of all the goods in the store. This, in part, answers the question of what a merchandiser does and what he does. But this is not all of his work.

A merchandising specialist deals with goods and everything that is connected with them in one way or another: purchase, transportation, reception and sales; he also monitors compliance with the rules for storing goods.

If these are food products, then the merchandiser needs to monitor the expiration date and the disposal of already spoiled goods. Thus, the merchandiser performs all actions with goods: from purchase to sale. The merchandiser also deals with documentation: writes reports, stuffs goods into the cash register, and makes price tags.

A merchandising specialist is someone who is in charge of a product. He has all the store’s goods in his hands, but in addition to knowledge about the product itself and its quantity required for purchase and sale, the merchandiser must have certain communication skills that will help him when communicating with suppliers and clients. The merchandiser also needs the knowledge of an economist, since he is in charge of the cash register and its contents (or rather, the relationship between the contents and the receipt). A merchandiser needs to know the rules for storing food and all goods in general, as well as the rules fire safety

and safety precautions in general. This is who a merchandiser is and this is what he does, if we talk about the profession in general terms.

What can a merchandiser do?

A merchandising specialist can work in places where a person with knowledge about goods is required. These could be grocery stores, clothing stores, appliances or furniture stores. This list can be continued for a long time.

Where a specialist in purchasing and marketing goods is needed, these are the places where a specialist in the field of commodity research is needed. Basically, these are large organizations where the volume of goods passing through it is huge, and a separate person is needed who will take responsibility for the turnover.

What should a merchandiser be able to do?

A merchandiser must be able to carry out calculations of the goods that need to be purchased and in what quantities, so he must track purchase statistics - which goods are bought worse, and which ones sell out faster and need to be constantly replenished, that is, which goods are in demand and which ones have fallen in level sales The merchandiser also needs to establish relationships with suppliers of goods in order to receive quality goods on time.

After purchasing the goods, he must check the appearance of the goods, its expiration date and be able to evaluate it. This is also his responsibility and this is also what the merchandiser does. And if these are grocery products, then he still needs to clearly monitor the storage conditions so that the products do not spoil ahead of schedule. It is also important to ensure that products that have expired are immediately removed from store shelves.

The merchandiser must calculate the quantity of goods that should be put on the shelves, and what will wait in the warehouse for now. He must also enter the goods into the cash register, put up price tags, and enter the goods into special protocols. The merchandiser must also clearly describe his other actions so that, if necessary, he can present them and explain certain of his actions.

What a merchandiser does in a particular store may differ from the duties in another, but what can be said for sure is that his functionality is quite diverse. This work requires not only communication skills, but also responsibility, accuracy, stress tolerance and attentiveness from the specialist who takes on this position.

The larger and more serious the enterprise, the more requirements they will ask the merchandiser. In terms of its responsibility and scale of work, the position of a merchandiser is almost equivalent to a store director, his deputy or an accountant. Since the merchandising specialist has a huge amount of work on the turnover of goods in the store.

How to become a merchandiser?

In order to become a commodity specialist, you need to obtain a diploma in the relevant specialty. An educational institution can be not only a university, but also various colleges, technical schools and schools that teach the basics of this profession. But since the range of responsibilities of a specialist is very large, it is better to master what a commodity specialist does in full at a higher educational institution. This not only increases your chances of getting hired, but also provides prospects for future promotion.

Although the profession of a merchandiser itself is considered one of the most in demand and highly paid at all levels of market and commodity relations, therefore it may become your first and only job that you will never want to change.

In times of shortage, the position of merchandiser was hardly one of the most prestigious and in demand. Since it was he who could get any goods, even the most expensive ones. Over time, this one lost its popularity, but did not become less significant. Now, with the advent and rapid development chains of supermarkets and stores, only an experienced and highly qualified merchandiser can navigate a wide range of goods. A good specialist is, first of all, a product quality expert who ensures that only the best products go on sale.

In different enterprises, depending on their size and specifics, commodity experts may differ slightly, but basically they include:

• formation of product assortment, preparation of orders
• reception, quality control, quantity and timing of product sales
• drawing up claims against suppliers in case of detection of defects, low-quality products or their failure to fulfill their obligations
• checking the accompanying documentation of goods (invoices, invoices, contracts, etc.)
• maintaining contact with suppliers,
• control of the availability of goods in the warehouse and on the sales floor
• participation in inventory, identifying surpluses and shortages
• checking the storage conditions of goods in warehouses
• conducting analysis of competitors' work
• issuance of goods from the warehouse
• studying demand and identifying trends in its changes
• participation in the formation of pricing policy

The merchandiser must know:

• methods of quality control of goods
• procedure for concluding transactions with suppliers and their documentation
• basics of keeping records of goods and determining the need for them
• regulatory documents, standards, technical specifications storage of goods
• trade laws
• range of products sold
• warehouse management rules
• basics of economics, labor protection and organization
• principles of window dressing and display of goods, rules of product proximity
• procedure for filing applications for product supplies
• claims
• basics of advertising and marketing
• safety precautions, sanitary standards, fire protection requirements

A highly qualified merchandiser must have the skills to work in several professions at once. So, for example, he must take control of the display of products on the counter, like a merchandiser, be able to communicate with suppliers, like a sales manager, and also keep records of the arrival and disposal of goods, like an accountant.

Requirements for a merchandiser

Not every person can become a good specialist. A merchandiser must have an analytical mind to correctly place orders, have a good memory to keep a large assortment of products and prices in mind, as well as organizational skills to maintain order in the warehouse. And these are not all the requirements that a highly qualified specialist must meet. Here are some of them.

Professional skills:

• secondary vocational or higher education
• computer skills, preferably the ability to work in specialized programs (1C, Excel, etc.)
• knowledge of the necessary documentation (standards, sanitary standards storage and sale of goods), trade rules
• ability to analyze demand trends
• It is desirable to have work experience

Personal qualities:

• attentiveness
• communication skills
• business communication skills
• honesty
• accuracy
• observation

It is very important that the merchandiser answers all of these. So, for example, thanks to attentiveness and observation, a good specialist will be able to distinguish a quality product simply by its appearance, having studied expiration dates, integrity of packaging, etc.

Merchandiser's rights

In addition to the duties, the merchandiser has the following rights:

The rights of a merchandising specialist are an integral part of his work activity. We can say that these are the responsibilities that the management of the enterprise has to the employee. Their implementation is very important for maintaining high performance of the entire company.

Responsibility of the merchandiser

While performing your job responsibilities, the merchandiser is in direct contact with others, has access to material assets, equipment, information and documentation.

As a result, he is responsible:

1. Material – for causing harm or loss to the enterprise.
2. Functional – for failure to complete or untimely completion of work.
3. Organizational - for failure to comply with orders and instructions from management, violation of safety regulations, labor protection laws, non-compliance with labor discipline, disclosure of industrial secrets.

If necessary, be sure to familiarize yourself with the internal labor policy of the enterprise. As for financial liability, an agreement on full or partial financial liability is most often concluded with a merchandiser, where possible penalties for causing losses to the enterprise are clearly stated.

It is very important to define the boundaries of functional and organizational responsibility.

After all, if you can get away with a warning for failing to work or submitting a report on time, then failure to comply with labor discipline can lead to more serious penalties, including dismissal. Therefore, it is imperative to study the rules of labor discipline and penalties at the enterprise.

How to become a merchandiser

Considering that the requirements for a merchandiser are quite complex, and the range of responsibilities is very wide, we can conclude that obtaining this specialty is not so easy.

The best way to acquire the necessary knowledge is to obtain a secondary vocational or higher education at a technical school, college or university. There you can learn to determine the quality and freshness of products, identify counterfeit goods, understand barcodes, etc. However, theoretical knowledge is not all that a real specialist needs. The more experience working with goods, the greater heights he will achieve in his career.

The profession of a commodity expert is very important and responsible, because he is responsible for the quality of goods not only to the management of the enterprise, but also to big amount buyers. Therefore, not a single enterprise will hire a non-professional, but highly qualified specialists can count on high opportunities for career growth.

Write your question in the form below

Discussion: there is 1 comment

Good afternoon. Is it possible to open an LLC for a person with group 1 disability? If yes, what are the benefits? Is it possible, in the future, to simultaneously open an individual entrepreneur for the same person?

Answer

A merchandiser is an indispensable employee at any retail outlet. He knows everything about the products, and he definitely won’t let any defects appear on the shelves.

A commodity specialist is a specialist who deals with the full range of work related to goods. He checks their quality for compliance with GOSTs and other standards, communicates between the manufacturer and the consumer, controls the quantity of goods shipped and its compliance with the invoice, and organizes the design of the display case.

Story

The history of this profession goes far into the past. For the first time, commodity science as a separate branch in modern history appeared in the 15-16th century in Italy. It was this country that became an intermediary in trade between the West and the East. And in 1549 the first department of commodity science was formed. It was dedicated to pharmacological materials. In Russia, until the 18th century, commodity science existed only as descriptive material. Only since the mid-20th century has it formed into a separate science.

Description

A merchandiser performs a fairly wide range of duties. Therefore, this specialty is divided into four main groups:

• Purchasing merchandising specialist. This specialist studies the level of sales, analyzes additional factors (holidays, weekends, seasonality). Based on all these factors, he creates a request for the purchase of goods to the distribution company.
• Commodity broker. These specialists control the quality of products. Their work includes routine work on checking certificates and properties of goods with GOST standards. This requires excellent memory development, since there are a lot of rules and you should operate with them quickly and freely.
• Commodity storekeeper. A specialist in this area is responsible for the shipment and receipt of goods. He controls the quantity and integrity of all supplied and shipped products.
• Commodity specialist for claims activities. This specialist voices quality claims to distributors or manufacturers. These include the quantity and shelf life of goods. It also solves problems with delivery delays.

Such a large staff, unfortunately, can only be afforded large companies with high turnover. In small stores or distribution companies, usually all these responsibilities are assigned to one person.

What specialties to study?

In order to get the opportunity to get a job as a merchandiser, you must graduate from a university in the following specialties:

• Trading business.
• Commodity research.
• Technology of production and processing of agricultural products.

Each of these specialties provides the necessary range of knowledge to perform the duties of a commodity expert at a sufficiently high level.

What do you have to do at work and specializations?

A merchandiser has a lot of responsibilities, because this specialist is responsible for the entire journey of the goods, from the moment of receipt until they fall into the hands of buyers or are shipped. Every day he performs the following types of work:

• Monitoring the availability of goods at a retail outlet or warehouse. In case of their absence or low balances, the merchandiser takes care of timely replenishment of stocks.
• Ordering and re-ordering necessary goods. Replenishing the warehouse and providing the point with the required quantity of goods is the direct responsibility of the merchandiser.
• Delay control. The merchandiser must be aware of when products expire. He is also obliged, if necessary, to take measures for the timely sale of goods that are approaching their end of life.
• Each product has its own quality standards. The merchandiser knows each of them. When introducing new products, he checks the compliance of its composition with GOST and other sanitary standards.
• Acceptance of goods. The merchandiser not only checks the quantity against the invoice, but also checks the products for defects. He also looks at the expiration dates of newly delivered goods.
• A merchandiser sorts products by price and chooses their location on store shelves.
• The merchandiser sets the price by making an appropriate markup.
• The location of product blocks in the store is also the responsibility of this specialist. He must know how to display products so that the buyer can accurately walk through the entire store. It is advisable for him to make a few more impulse purchases.
• Monitoring compliance with standards for the storage and packaging of home-made products in stores or catering establishments that sell take-out food.
• Accounting and reporting activities. It includes a whole range of paperwork. This includes checking invoices and generating applications. This includes drawing up contracts with suppliers. Also part of the paper work is the creation of claim documents for non-conformity of product quality. Based on the answers to them, return statements and invoices are generated.

Many companies add a lot of additional responsibilities to merchandisers, but the above are the main ones for this specialty.

Who is this profession suitable for?

This profession is suitable for people with very good developed memory. After all, it involves free operation a huge amount figures and documentary standards. At the same time, a person must have an analytical mind. This helps to understand from the first glance at a new product whether it is of high quality. An experienced specialist only needs to see the packaging.

A merchandiser must be sociable and be able to speak business language with knowledge of etiquette. This is important, since it is this specialist who negotiates with product suppliers.

Demand

The profession of merchandising has always been and will be in demand. Food is one of the basic human needs. This provokes demand and the opening of new stores, accordingly.

A merchandiser is needed in every store or warehouse. Without this kind of specialist, real chaos can ensue in retail outlets.

How much do people working in this profession earn?

Salaries for commodity experts are not too high, but not low either. So, in the capital, such employees on average receive from 15 to 40 thousand rubles per month. However, throughout Russia this figure is not much lower. Minimum wage starts from 10,000 rubles.

Is it easy to get a job?

In order to get a job as a merchandiser, it is enough to complete educational institution in the relevant specialty and pass an interview. At the casting they usually ask about responsibilities. Several norms or quality standards may be specified. Many employers like to test your analytical skills. But for people who are well aware of the features and standards of the profession, such an interview will be simple and easy.

There is no big enough competition. The profession is not considered the most prestigious, so many employers are ready to take even the first applicant. Considering the difficult situation in the employment market, choosing this field may be optimal for many.

How does one usually build a career?

Once you get a job as a merchandiser, you immediately find yourself in the management ranks. After all, it is you who control the sellers, storekeepers and merchandisers. A career is built quite quickly. Analytical skills and a desire to improve yourself are especially valued. Therefore, most often, when a managerial vacancy appears (sales floor administrator, etc.), the first person to offer this position is a merchandiser. After all, no one knows the specifics of the company’s work better than him. And knowledge is a guarantee of effective management.

Prospects for the profession

Most people mistakenly believe that a merchandiser will work like this all his life. That this is not prestigious and somehow undignified. They are wrong. After all, the work of a merchandiser involves a lot of knowledge and skills that are valued by management.

Merchandisers often receive rapid promotion in career ladder. It all depends on the level of knowledge and desire to achieve more. Administrators of a trading floor or an entire building are usually chosen among merchandisers. And this is a completely different level of salaries and prestige.

Many commodity experts eventually move to the management department, starting work as purchasing specialists, where they easily prove themselves to be knowledgeable and well-versed employees in numbers. This guarantees a gradual increase. Promotion to head of management department or financial director is quite possible. For getting last position All they need to do is undergo appropriate additional training and receive a certificate.

Commodity expert is a dynamically developing profession. By giving your preference to it, through constant self-improvement, you can make a successful career.

A merchandising specialist is a specialist who controls the quantity and quality of goods.

Commodity expert- a specialist who controls the quantity and quality of goods, who works in trade organizations, customs authorities or specialized laboratories for the examination and certification of goods. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in economics, labor and farming (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

In stores, a merchandiser develops a supply and sales plan, engages in marketing research, draws up contracts for the supply of goods and monitors their implementation: goods must be delivered to the store in the specified volume and within the specified time frame. Receives goods, keeps records of them, works with invoices and other documentation on trade turnover, checks the correctness of certificates of conformity, etc.

In some stores, the merchandiser has a wider range of responsibilities. He determines how much and what kind of product is needed in order to sell it without surplus, and decides at what price to sell it. To do this, the merchandiser must understand the needs of customers and their purchasing power. If a merchandiser works in a clothing store, he follows fashion trends. If a store specializes in household appliances, the merchandiser needs to understand the pros and cons of different manufacturers, models, etc. Outdated or low-quality goods do not bring profit. Also, the responsibilities of a merchandiser may include conducting inventory and accounting.

In specialized examination laboratories, a professional commodity expert can determine by eye how a product meets the necessary requirements and which does not. For example, whether a product complies with GOST, a specialist can determine using special instruments and devices.

The basis of the work of any professional merchandiser is a set of activities that cover several areas of activity (merchandising, economic planning, expert assessment, transportation organization).

Required professional skills and knowledge

• knowledge of the necessary regulatory documentation (standards, technical, sanitary norms for the production, storage and transportation of goods);
• knowledge of programs such as 1C: Enterprise and 1C: Trade + Warehouse;
• ability to organize and maintain warehouse operations;
• ability to understand the features of stimulating consumer demand;
• negotiation skills, business communication skills;
• knowledge foreign language(if it is needed).

Training to become a Commodity Specialist

Education merchandiser can be obtained at a university, trade college, or technical school. However, some types of goods require special knowledge. For example, large bookstores employ specialists in the book trade.

The necessary knowledge can also be acquired at commodity expert courses.

In this course, you can obtain the profession of a commodity expert remotely in 1-3 months. Diploma of professional retraining established by the state. Training in a completely distance learning format. Largest educational institution additional prof. education in Russia.

Personal qualities

• analytical thinking;
• communication skills;
• organizational skills;
• good memory;
• attentiveness;
• observation;
• accuracy.

Place of work

• warehouses;
• trading companies;
• customs authorities;
• various retail outlets (shops, supermarkets);
• specialized laboratories for examination and certification of goods;
• Society for the Protection of Consumer Interests.

Salary and career

Salary as of March 26, 2019

Russia 18000—45000 ₽

Moscow 25000—55000 ₽

The career growth of a merchandiser depends on the place of work and the profitability of the department in which he works, as well as on the experience of the specialist and his hard work. Promotion is possible either towards management positions (leading merchandise manager, department head, Commercial Director, store director), or towards purchasing and sales.

Already from the moment trade began, people were needed who knew who needed what and where it could be taken, bought, or exchanged. The foundations of merchandising, completely unaware of it, were laid by merchants and manufacturers.

The first knowledge about the movement of goods included the ability to deliver what was needed to the place where it would definitely be bought and this would bring profit. Figuratively speaking, they won’t buy ice in Alaska, but sand in the desert. Therefore, people are needed to deliver ice to the desert, to the right places and in the required quantity.

What a merchandiser needs to know

First of all, a merchandiser is a specialist who knows everything about the consumer qualities of a product:

1. Compound.
2. Purpose.
3. Proper use.
4. Acceptable storage conditions.
5. Expiration dates.

The name itself suggests that a person knows (knows) all the subtleties about the product. Even production features and special ingredients in a particular product.

Commodity science not only includes knowledge about the product being sold, but also studies all processes associated with sales and promotion of goods on the market. Considers the capabilities of the product not from the point of view of the manufacturer, but from the point of view of the distributor and the consumer.

• Ability to provide the required product on time.
• In the right quantity.
• Organize an increase in sales.
• Receive benefits from implementation.
• Anticipate a drop in demand.
• Organize an advertising campaign in a qualified manner.
• Organize display of goods.
• Controlling deadlines for sales is something a merchandiser should know and be able to do.

Activities

The main areas of specialization include: merchandising food products, merchandising non-food products, organization and technology of trade processes. This is what gives the specialty its name.

Food group

Food merchandising studies everything about the food group and each product:

1. Composition of the product and its correct name.
2. Features of production and sales conditions.
3. Quality assessment and demand forecasting.
4. Conditions of storage and consumption.

Ability to organize everything the necessary conditions For the sale, storage of goods, ensuring safety during transportation is the responsibility of the merchandiser. Forecasting demand and, to a certain extent, its formation also depends on this specialist.

Promoting products on the market, rich assortment of retail outlets, variety of offers, conveying information about products to the buyer - this is the work of a merchandiser.

Non-food products

Merchandising of non-food products includes knowledge of goods of all groups with the exception of food, and this is:

1. Clothes, shoes, fabrics.
2. Haberdashery, cosmetics and perfumes.
3. Books, office.
4. Household group, household chemicals.
5. Household appliances, electronics, electrical devices.
6. Gardening tools, building materials.

Each of the listed groups has its own characteristics; knowledge of them is the responsibility of a commodity expert. It is this specialization that requires constant study of new product groups and the characteristics of their sales.

Organization of trading processes

The organization of trade processes includes knowledge of product distribution and logistics, the basics of advertising and trade rules. A merchandiser must know the basics accounting, have the ability to economically analyze demand and the market, be able to work with manufacturers, organize work trading enterprises, know the basics of buyer psychology. Such a specialist must be familiar with the basic principles of many sciences and specialties.

What is the value of the merchandising profession?

Such a specialist can recognize the quality of the product at first sight, knows a lot about trading methods, so it is difficult to deceive him, is well versed in documentary support of trade processes, can organize advertising campaigns and promote goods, knows the basics of production and the subtleties of sales.

Profession diversified, one might say universal. With this specialty you can work in trade, logistics, manufacturing, and advertising.

The modern market requires universal specialists. Already, one specialty is not enough for career growth and sufficient financial support. Therefore, the specialty commodity specialist is one of the few in the field vocational training providing a basis for several professions at once.

Disadvantages of the profession of merchandiser

This specialty requires keep up to date with all the new products on the market. Therefore, you need to constantly improve your skills and devote time to self-education.

Working as a merchandiser, a person has to communicate a lot and travel on business trips. This very hectic profession. Very often, work is associated with full or partial financial responsibility. To successfully master a specialty, a person must have a creative approach (this is especially important for working in the advertising field), be well organized and comprehensively literate.

To work in this specialty, it is not enough to graduate from a special educational institution; you need constant work to study new areas related to the promotion and sale of goods. This requires constant education and work on yourself.

Who needs knowledge of the basics of this profession?

To all, without exception, leaders in trade. If your business is related to sales, knowledge of the organization and technologies of trading processes should become a reference book for you. Warehousing and cargo transportation workers should know the basics of commodity science. If you are involved in advertising or copywriting, it will be easy for you to understand how to work correctly with different types goods, know the intricacies of their sale.