The job role of an Account Manager within the fashion industry means you will be responsible for and be the key point of contact of major retail accounts within a fashion supplier. This could be a supplier of any fashion product whether it is womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, fashion accessories, footwear, or lingerie; and the product supplied is generally more specific than this, for example a supplier of women's knitwear - that supplies to the high street.
An Account Manager will identify new customers and pitch for new business along with other Account Managers working within the fashion company.
As an Account Manager you will drive sales forward to achieve forecast and budget as well as identifying new product areas and opportunities for the fashion company. An Account Manager will also be heavily involved with the product development and sampling, briefing design on direction for each season and new product areas, CMT and FOB costing.
An experienced Account Manager will have strong negotiation skills and be able to negotiate prices with factories and trim suppliers, source fabric and trims and book production capacity with factories & mills that are supplying to the fashion company with the requirements of the fashion retailer customers requirements in mind.
An Account Manager will normally manage a team of merchandisers and garment technologists to ensure smooth production and timely deliveries to their retail clients.
In order to get this job in fashion a typical promotion into Account Management would be from a Junior Account Manager or Wholesale Merchandiser. You will need to be quite sales focused to become a successful Account Manager and have good interpersonal skills.
The job role of the Wholesale or Import Merchandiser within the fashion/retail industry is to manage the order process from the moment the sale is made, place the order with the factory, and manage the critical path through to final delivery. A Wholesale or Import Merchandiser's role includes customer account management, liaising with offshore suppliers, factories and customers, approving lab dips and negotiating lead times and will be based in the head office of the fashion company.
To get a job in fashion as a Wholesale Merchandiser you will need to be an experienced Administrator. The Wholesale or Import Merchandiser also needs to be highly organised, proactive, and numerate with excellent IT skills, particularly Excel. Good written and spoken communication skills are important for dealing with overseas factories/customers of the fashion or retail company and the ability to work to tight deadlines and manage the critical path are also essential.
The job role of a Sales Administrator will be based within the fashion brands Head Office. Working as a Sales Administrator within the fashion industry you would normally report into either one or a team of Sales Managers working within a wholesale business (either a supplier or a retail brand that works on a wholesale basis).
The job of a Sales Administrator is to liaise with all UK & overseas clients which are either retailers or independents ensuring that wholesale orders are processed and tracked correctly and efficiently. Sales Administrators are the key contact between the Sales Managers and the customer dealing with any queries or problems that may arise.
Some duties of a Sales Administrator include managing stock orders, allocation, dispatch preparation and shipping, sending the delivery schedule to all major accounts using the critical path, and creating and updating all retail store delivery and invoice lists. The job of a Sales Administrator will also include organising and sales meetings, co-ordinating the preparation for Pure London Trade Show and representing the fashion company.
Most Sales Administrators will have come from an administration background and will be very proficient on Excel. Sales Administrators will progress to Junior Sales Executives or Junior Showroom Sales Executives once you have had at least 2-3 years experience as a Sales Administrator within a fashion company.
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