Fashion Retail Management
Sharp Pencil Design Studio
What is Fashion Retail Management
Fashion designing and its related courses are trending widely these days. In a world of doctors and engineers, this course is the ‘road less travelled by’ but comes with equally promising returns. The Fashion Retail Management Course is designed in order to satisfy certain requirements of retail apparel organizations. The course produces retail professionals who are inclined towards the fashion industry with insights in various fields such as - retail buying and merchandising, supply chain management and virtual merchandising. Fashion Retail management provides individuals with a flair for detailed fabric knowledge- from fibre to fabric to garment.
Fashion retailers act as an intermediary between the manufacturers and customers. After identifying the right distributor, they prepare blueprints for fashion marketing and corroborating the smooth transition of products from the manufacturers to the customers. They also ensure that the customer feedback is heeded to.
Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Fashion Retail Management
A broad outline of the eligibility criteria of various colleges on an average is mentioned below:
For Bachelors in Fashion Retail Management -
Candidates should have passed 10+2 from a recognized board.
For Postgraduate Diploma in Fashion Retail Management -
Graduation with an aggregate of 50% in all subjects
Should have a Bachelor’s degree in fashion designing or any equivalent branch from a recognized university.
For MBA in Fashion Management -
Graduation in any stream from a recognized university or BBA in Fashion retail management or Diploma in fashion designing/ accessory designing.
A minimum aggregate score of 50% in graduation.
For a Masters in Fashion Management -
Undergraduate degree from any recognized Institute/university with min 50%
Scope of Fashion Retail Management in
India and Abroad
Fashion retail management is a looming field and has lots of growth potential. Individuals get to interact with people from various backgrounds, traversing to different places while working. Since it is an amalgamation of fashion and retail management, learning the techniques of business is equally important if not more than hard-core designing. Individuals employed in this field have to work at odd hours, as and when the company demands. The course of Fashion Retail Management offers diverse job opportunities in various fields. While most of the students go for managerial positions in sectors like retail, merchandise and marketing, a few even opt for becoming fashion designers and operating their own business. Unlike other professional courses, where higher degrees are revered, the fashion industry gives more preference to experience rather than education.
Course Subjects
Post Graduate Diploma in Fashion Retail Management –
Subjects Taught in Fashion Retail Management Course Are:
Introduction to the Fashion Industry,
Fabric Knowledge for merchandisers
Principles of fashion marketing & merchandising
Computer applications in fashion & retail industry
Principles & practices of management
Elements of design & history of fashion
Introduction to garment manufacturing
Visual merchandising II
Retail Logistics
Stores operation
Design marketing interactive strategy
Customer relationship management
Behavioral science
BBA in Fashion Retail Management -
Subjects Taught in Fashion Retail Management Course:
Entrepreneurship, Event Management, Brand management, Fashion communication, Fashion merchandising, Communication skills, Retail management, Finance management, Business planning, Marketing, Business environment, Economics, Principles of management, Business communication.
Master of Fashion Retail Management -
The course is divided into 4 semesters spanning over 2 years. Subjects taught in the course are:
Basics of fashion, Fashion finance & economics, fashion design process, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship, Visual merchandising & window display, Fashion event management and others.
MBA in Fashion Retail Management -
Subjects taught in the course are:
Principles of fashion marketing, merchandising and management, Economic analysis and statistics, Information Technology, Minor research project, Basic product, and manufacturing-related knowledge: Design, fabric, patterns, etc.
Marketing research and consumer behavior, Global textiles and apparel product market characteristics, Retail management and advanced export merchandising, Quantitative Technique and operations research, Management Accounting
Marketing strategies and brand management, International marketing, Fashion forecasting and product development, Financial management, and International Finance, Intellectual property rights, Graduation research project, Human resource management, Supply chain management, and E-Business, Customer relationship management, Visual merchandising.
Careers in Fashion Retail Management
The Fashion Retail Management course helps the individuals to vitalize creative solutions for fashion retailing while utilizing the design and communication potential of physical and virtual stores. Professionals from this course can find worthwhile employment in designing, haute couture, apparel manufacturing, boutiques, import houses, jewelry houses, fashion manufacturing, distribution and retailing, costume designing, and other luxury stores. They can explore any of the sectors from handloom to retail fashion brands, NGOs to Textile houses, Development sectors to big private players. Therefore, growth in a career in fashion retail management is a given and is a good choice for a candidate wanting to succeed in both fashion as well as business.
Upcoming trends
Fashion retail industry has witnessed prominent growth over the years. The root cause can be attributed to changing lifestyle and economy. Some of the recent trends worth noticing in this industry are:· Positive growth trend in the apparel market· Increase in acceptance of private labels· Personalized retail experience· Expansion in emerging markets
Job Profiles and Top Recruiters
Individuals have a wide range of options for job profiles after completing the Fashion Retail Management course. They can choose to be an Entrepreneur, Fabric buyer, Fabric Quality Control Manager, Fashion consultant, Fashion coordinator, Personal stylist, Production Pattern Maker or a showroom sales representative. Fashion and retail managers bring new trends in apparel, accessories and merchandise to customers.
Job ProfileJob Description
Fashion Retail Buyer
Their main job is to examine the range that a clothing line puts upon a sale. A Fashion retail buyer is an integral part of the decision-making process of the brand. It requires a deep understanding of how the Industry works.
Store Manager
They are responsible for the entire store. Ranging from functions like dealing with customer’s grievances and feedback to improving their shopping experience, everything is a part of their job.Visual MerchandiserA visual merchandiser is in charge of making the retail store and the merchandise visually appealing to boost the sales.
Costume Designer
They are responsible for designing the costumes of actors for their performance through combinations of colours and fabric textures, as per the need of the character or personal style.
Fashion Consultant
People or companies approach them for fashion-related professional suggestions. They help others with their experience in the field and knowledge of fashion principles.
Sales Representatives
Their main job is to extend retail items, products and ventures to the customers. They work side by side with the clients to get an overview of their requirements and produce products matching their description. They also identify new potential customers through various means and try to bring them on-board with the company.
Marketing Manager
They are tasked with overseeing the creation of various sales campaigns for merchandise.Fabric BuyerThey are responsible for securing a wide extent of finished products for either retailers or wholesalers. Assessing the market trends and working out the best price for the products their company sells is also a part of their job description.
Top Recruiters in Fashion Retail Management -
Fashion Retail is an essential factor in the fashion industry. It is what controls the supply and demand of the industry and thus holds the reins for its success. Therefore, finding a job in this field is definitely an easy task. Some of the top recruiters of Fashion retail management are:
· AB Design garments private limited
· IMELDA Incorporate
· Vijayata furnishers
· Synergy corporate interiors
· ICrave designs
· Futomic designs
· HS Ahuja & Associates
· Evok
· ART India
Average Salary
Average Salary Offered to Fashion Retail Management Graduates
The average salary after Fashion retail management depends upon a lot of factors such as the college, degree and recruiter. However, a brief overview of what the salary in various job positions looks like on an average is given in the table below.
Fashion Retail buyer - Rs. 6,00,000
Store Manager - Rs. 5,00,000 – Rs. 6,00,000
Visual Merchandiser - Rs. 4,15,000
Costume Designer - Rs, 6,10,000
Fashion Consultant - Rs, 7,10,000
Sales Representatives - Rs. 7,50,000
Marketing manager - Rs. 7,10,000
Fabric buyer - Rs. 5,00,000
Required Skillset for Fashion Retail Management
Fashion Retail is a very diversified branch of the fashion industry. To survive or leave a strong imprint, you need to have a very strong academic background allied with interpersonal skills. Some of the relevant Interpersonal skills are:
Communication Skills:
The job requires a lot of interaction with manufacturers and designers on a daily basis. For this, having strong communication skills is very important. Not only should you be able to convey your side of the story but also have the patience for customer’s demands and feedback
Marketing Skills:
Individuals should be capable of doing a decent amount of promotion for the products. Since the fashion business is a very competitive one, being able to pull off the sale of products is one of the most important skills. Ability to persuade others comes in handy too.
Product Knowledge:
Keeping up with the changing market trends is an essential part of the job. Sound merchandising techniques give you an upper edge
Course Curriculum for Fashion Retail Management
The course is structured such that students learn all the essentials regarding the Fashion Retail Management Industry. It focuses on constructing patterns for products, fabric choice before designing, textile design projects, basic qualities and finishes for various textiles. It also helps in building a styling portfolio and trend forecasting. Creativity infused with the right amount of management skills helps in easing down the journey through a difficult road. Fashion Retail management and understanding consumer psychology are essential to the Fashion retail industry.
