Merchandiser to wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear
A merchandiser already meets 25% of what the wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role asks for. The move turns on 15 required skills not yet in the profile.
71.7/ 100
1 How much of what a wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear is expected to do is already part of a merchandiser’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role treats 5 of its required skills as things a merchandiser already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- consumer goods industry
- have computer literacy
- negotiate buying conditions
- perform market research
- sales strategies
What stands in the way is 15 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 5 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a merchandiser background worth leading with.
- already held consumer goods industry business, administration and law
- already held sales strategies business, administration and law
- already held negotiate buying conditions communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held perform market research information skills
- already held have computer literacy working with computers
All 5 carried skills, including the 5 the wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 15 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn identify customer's needs required
- still to learn initiate contact with buyers required
- still to learn initiate contact with sellers required
- still to learn negotiate sale of commodities required
- still to learn negotiate sales contracts required
- still to learn build business relationships required
- still to learn assess supplier risks required
- still to learn comprehend financial business terminology required
- still to learn maintain financial records required
- still to learn monitor international market performance required
- still to learn plan transport operations required
- still to learn identify new business opportunities required
- still to learn identify suppliers required
- still to learn product comprehension required
- still to learn clothing and footwear products required
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 assess supplier risks practise this
- 02 clothing and footwear products study this
- 03 identify customer's needs practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 5 skills that carry over
- already held consumer goods industry knowledge
- already held have computer literacy skill
- already held negotiate buying conditions skill
- already held perform market research skill
- already held sales strategies knowledge
0 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
35 held skills the wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role address problems critically skill
- not needed by the target role analyse bestsellers skill
- not needed by the target role assess visual impact of displays skill
- not needed by the target role carry out cross merchandising skill
- not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
- not needed by the target role carry out stock rotation skill
- not needed by the target role change window displays skill
- not needed by the target role check price accuracy on the shelf skill
- not needed by the target role decide on products to be stocked skill
- not needed by the target role ensure point of sale material availability skill
- not needed by the target role ensure stock storage safety skill
- not needed by the target role execute visual presentation changes skill
- not needed by the target role interpret floor plans skill
- not needed by the target role keep promotions records skill
- not needed by the target role keep records of merchandise delivery skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with buyers to plan products for the store skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relationship with customers skill
- not needed by the target role maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role maximise sales revenues skill
- not needed by the target role meet deadlines skill
- not needed by the target role merchandising techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role monitor merchandise delivery skill
- not needed by the target role monitor stock level skill
- not needed by the target role monitor stock movement skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate terms with suppliers skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate with suppliers for visual material skill
- not needed by the target role organise retail sampling events skill
- not needed by the target role plan retail space skill
- not needed by the target role price product skill
- not needed by the target role set sales promotions skill
- not needed by the target role show diplomacy skill
- not needed by the target role stock shelves skill
- not needed by the target role supervise merchandise displays skill
- not needed by the target role train staff about product features skill
- not needed by the target role visit manufacturers skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn clothing and footwear products required
- still to learn product comprehension required
Common questions about this move
Can a merchandiser become a wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A merchandiser already covers 25% of what a wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear is expected to do: 5 skills carry over, 5 of which the wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear role treats as required.
What skills does a merchandiser need to become a wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear?
15 required skills are missing, plus 0 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is assess supplier risks.
How hard is the move from merchandiser to wholesale merchant in clothing and footwear?
Its learning distance is 71.7 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.