Visual merchandiser to merchandiser
A visual merchandiser already meets 38% of what the merchandiser role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
68.3/ 100
1 How much of what a merchandiser is expected to do is already part of a visual 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 merchandiser role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A merchandiser role treats 11 of its required skills as things a visual merchandiser already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- assess visual impact of displays
- carry out sales analysis
- execute visual presentation changes
- have computer literacy
- interpret floor plans
- maintain relationship with customers
What stands in the way is 16 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 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A merchandiser role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a visual merchandiser background worth leading with.
- already held assess visual impact of displays information skills
- already held execute visual presentation changes communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held negotiate with suppliers for visual material communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held analyse bestsellers information skills
- already held change window displays communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held interpret floor plans information skills
All 14 carried skills, including the 11 the merchandiser role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 26 missing skills fall into 6 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 plan retail space required
- still to learn supervise merchandise displays required
- still to learn visit manufacturers required
- still to learn maximise sales revenues required
- still to learn negotiate buying conditions required
- still to learn negotiate terms with suppliers required
- still to learn show diplomacy required
- optional, not held liaise with buyers to plan products for the store optional
- optional, not held set sales promotions optional
- optional, not held train staff about product features optional
- optional, not held address problems critically optional
- still to learn keep promotions records required
- still to learn keep records of merchandise delivery required
- still to learn monitor merchandise delivery required
- still to learn perform market research required
- optional, not held price product optional
- still to learn carry out cross merchandising required
- still to learn check price accuracy on the shelf required
- still to learn stock shelves required
- still to learn carry out stock rotation required
- still to learn sales strategies required
- optional, not held consumer goods industry optional
- optional, not held decide on products to be stocked optional
- optional, not held ensure point of sale material availability optional
- optional, not held organise retail sampling events optional
- optional, not held ensure stock storage safety optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a merchandiser role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 plan retail space practise this
- 02 carry out cross merchandising practise this
- 03 check price accuracy on the shelf 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 14 skills that carry over
- already held assess visual impact of displays skill
- already held carry out sales analysis skill
- already held execute visual presentation changes skill
- already held have computer literacy skill
- already held interpret floor plans skill
- already held maintain relationship with customers skill
- already held maintain relationship with suppliers skill
- already held meet deadlines skill
- already held merchandising techniques knowledge
- already held monitor stock movement skill
- already held negotiate with suppliers for visual material skill
- already held analyse bestsellers skill
- already held change window displays skill
- already held monitor stock level skill
10 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held decide on products to be stocked optional
- optional, not held liaise with buyers to plan products for the store optional
- optional, not held ensure point of sale material availability optional
- optional, not held ensure stock storage safety optional
- optional, not held organise retail sampling events optional
- optional, not held price product optional
- optional, not held set sales promotions optional
- optional, not held train staff about product features optional
- optional, not held address problems critically optional
- optional, not held consumer goods industry optional
9 held skills the merchandiser role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assemble visual displays skill
- not needed by the target role coach team on visual merchandising skill
- not needed by the target role communicate on merchandise visual display skill
- not needed by the target role conduct research on trends in design skill
- not needed by the target role develop store design skill
- not needed by the target role drive vehicles skill
- not needed by the target role teamwork principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role trends in fashion knowledge
- not needed by the target role use CAD software 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 sales strategies required
- optional, not held consumer goods industry optional
Other moves recorded from visual merchandiser
Common questions about this move
Can a visual merchandiser become a merchandiser?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A visual merchandiser already covers 38% of what a merchandiser is expected to do: 14 skills carry over, 11 of which the merchandiser role treats as required.
What skills does a visual merchandiser need to become a merchandiser?
16 required skills are missing, plus 10 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is plan retail space.
How hard is the move from visual merchandiser to merchandiser?
Its learning distance is 68.3 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.