So, what is merchandising?
Merchandising reflects many different activities that one does to support the movement of products out of a retailer's door (paid for, of course). This can mean having attractive signage or other enticing promotional displays; the way a product is placed and arranged on a shelf or hangers; and having brochures, coupons or other informational material readily available at the point of purchase to encourage the consumer to go home with that item. It can also include ensuring that the right product is out on the sales floor, in the right place, in sufficient quantity and is priced correctly. Often inventory counts need to be made, old and defective stock must be returned and new prices must be put on the merchandise.
A merchandiser will sometimes deliver educational materials to a store, or even give some guidance, so that the management and employees will learn more about the product and how to sell it--increased sales benefit both the store and the manufacturer. Lastly, the merchandiser who goes out on regular assignments to a particular store can become a "goodwill ambassador" for the manufacturer and the positive relationship his or her visits create can often lead to securing better placement of promotional materials, additional orders for the product and possibly even a prized location in the store for the manufacturer's product. Just like in real estate, in retailing it's location, location, location!
What is it like to be a merchandiser?
Typically you are working at the local store of a sizable retail chain--supermarket and drug retailers, mass merchants like Target or Wal-Mart, or a specialty chain like Linens And Things.
I am truly amazed at how many different industries and companies I have done assignments for. One day I am helping a party-goods store get rid of old, ugly fixtures and set up new, attractive card displays instead. The next, I am making sure there are enough copies of "Kiddie Movie IV" in my local drug chain, removing videos from my client's display while reminding the store personnel that the competing video distributor's stuff is not allowed there, and putting up very cool displays for a new release.
In my supermarket, I am making sure its customers can save on various products using the coupons in the boxes I am attaching to the shelves. And in Target, I stopped by to see if a new toy manufacturer's merchandise is on the floor, audit the units and make it look nice for the new ad campaign that will break in this Sunday's paper.
Almost any type of retail business with many multiple outlets is going to be serviced by merchandisers. Or, if it is a small mom-and-pop store, a merchandiser may also be involved if it stocks enough of the products of a name company. The types of assignments you take on can be as varied as you like, or you may decide to specialize only in certain kinds based upon your own personal preferences and the pay or work involved.
How much can I make?
There are people who do merchandising on a full-time basis, either because one company has hired them on full-time, or they take on enough assignments to make it full-time work. I am going to assume you are like me and are doing merchandising as a flexible, home-based job to complement other income.
Merchandising companies or manufacturers will pay you in one of two ways: 1) they pay you an hourly wage for all work that you do for them, so the amount you earn per assignment varies with the amount of hours it takes (typically $7-$15 per hour), or 2) they pay you a flat rate per job like they do in mystery shopping--whether it takes you five minutes or five hours, that's your pay (typically $9-$20 per job).
The big plus is that merchandising can be fairly regular work, but yet still very flexible--you usually choose the days and hours you do the assignment within certain date ranges. Most of the companies you hook up with will want you for ongoing assignments, or will offer you lots of different assignments on a regular basis.
Why should I combine mystery shopping and merchandising to create a dual, flexible, home-based career?
Mystery shopping and merchandising balance each other out very well because merchandising is physical, mystery shopping is mental. Mystery shopping may pay more on an hourly basis when you divide the pay over the time for the assignment, but it can be more irregular; merchandising's steadier work flow and hours make up for the lower hourly pay. Mystery shopping requires more writing and reporting, merchandising has minimal paperwork and reporting.
Mystery shoppers also rarely get paid for mileage, while merchandisers often do. So you can piggyback that mystery shop onto the merchandising assignment location, and, in effect, get your mileage paid for! Another important point is that if you work for a merchandising company on an employee basis (and merchandising companies will tend to hire you as an employee although some work on an independent contractor basis), even part-time, you will very likely be offered some form of medical benefits for yourself and possibly your family. Mystery shoppers almost always work as independent contractors, so it's never offered, and it's tough for them to get coverage. Your dual career might just provide a way for you to get healthcare coverage at a reasonable cost!
Trust me, the two fields go hand-in-hand. That's why I decided to combine them to create a dual career for myself. You'll like the combo!
What else do I need to know?
You will be able to do the securing of your work, administration and reporting at home and then go out in the field to do your assignment. Since your work is flexible, there is no daily commute (reducing your stress level), and you gain time each day that you could use for better purposes like spending quality time with your spouse, significant other or kids. However, please note that you usually cannot bring along kids on assignment with you, so know that you will need to have someone to watch them, or be sure you can make enough money to offset any caretaker expenses.
Most people can be merchandisers--male or female, young or old, fat or skinny, tall or short, any race or religion. However, since you are not sitting at a desk, you must be comfortable with working on your feet for anywhere from a half an hour to a few hours a day; be able to bend and kneel, and at times, lift some packages in the 15-25 pound range. You need to know your limitations. But don't get the idea that there is often a lot of heavy lifting involved. When I worked on rearranging the paper goods department in my local supermarket, those products were light as a feather! Many merchandising assignments are general tasks where you'll work with a box of promotional materials and that's it.
The demand for merchandisers is great as retailing becomes more and more competitive. Manufacturers realize they need to have their own representatives take care of their stock and promotional needs, make sure their wishes are carried out to the extent possible and to protect their interests. You can work almost every day if you want to--especially once you get at least some experience under your belt. So why not buy get your copy of The Quick And Easy Guide To Making Money As A Merchandiser and get started on your new merchandising career the right way today?
