Module 2 – 4c Part A, Initial answers from practitioners

Module 2 – 4c Part A, Initial answers from practitioners

I have genuinely been so excited for this blog, just to see if anyone’s views link to my own at all.

I decided to ask a couple of practitioners I am connected with the list of questions, I will give you a bit of background before posting their answers...

Quick reminder of my initial set of questions asked -

What makes a good buyer? 

Does having an interest in fashion and interiors inevitably mean you will be a good buyer in this field? 

Does having a degree in your subject ie. Fashion/interiors related, but no experience make you a valuable buying team member? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better buying team member? 
Are practitioners that do have a relevant degree more knowledgeable, and if so does this make a difference in the work-place? 

Are you respected more in your profession working for the buying team of a retailer if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field, ie had a large amount of work experience (such-as interning) specifically in this field? 
Do ex-performers choose a completely different career route,  so as not to be reminded of the carer they chose to leave behind? 

Are buyers that work in home ware related departments affected by fashion trends?  Im not really sure?  

Do you think the theatre world is affected at all by the world of fashion? 

Are you expected to be ‘creative’ to work in a fashion based industry within the buying team? 

Interviewee 1) Fellow practical practitioner - My Buyer at work, who has a degree in English Literature and came to the current retailer straight from University.

Interviewee 1 answers...

What makes a good buyer? Above everything a good buyer should have a true passion for product and an eagerness and enthusiasm to create newness and excitement for their target customer season after season. As well as this genuine love for their product area, a good buyer needs to be a team player and an effective manager. A commercial and profitable range cannot be delivered to customers unless a team is working efficiently together and it is often the Buyer who holds all members of the team together. A buyer should be the link between merchandising and design and should have the ability to spot commercial product and believe in their choices with confidence.

Does having an interest in fashion and interiors inevitably mean you will be a good buyer in this field? An interest or passion in a certain product field does not inevitably mean that you will be a good buyer. It is vital for a buyer to be able to separate their personal taste and preferences from that of the company they work for. Quite often a retailer will have a variety of customer types so a good buyer will need to be able to build ranges that cater for all of them and not just fulfil their own ideals.

Does having a degree in your subject ie. Fashion/interiors related, but no experience make you a valuable buying team member? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better buying team member? Both instances have equal potential to produce a valuable buying team member. It would be down to the person and how they apply their knowledge or their experience positively and pro-actively. Degree level education will only be brought to life by working on the job in the fast paced environment but alternatively, trying to learn whilst working on the job can be chaotic and may be too hectic for some to develop effectively. It is ultimately down to the individual’s attitude and work ethic and how they react to different ways of learning. 



Are practitioners that do have a relevant degree more knowledgeable, and if so does this make a difference in the work-place? They will inevitably be more knowledgeable if they have done a relevant degree and this can give them an advantage in the work place. It will mean that they have a solid background knowledge of certain aspects of the industry and its’ processes and can therefore concentrate on other, more practical and specific tasks. However I do not  believe that is a drastic disadvantage if you do not have a relevant degree as long as you do have a strong passion and hard working ambition to progress.  

Are you respected more in your profession working for the buying team of a retailer if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field, ie had a large amount of work experience (such-as interning) specifically in this field? 

Do ex-performers choose a completely different career route,  so as not to be reminded of the carer they chose to leave behind? I think many people opt for completely different career routes if their first choice does not work out but I think there could be many reasons, aside from the negative reminders, why they would choose to do this. I graduated with an English Literature degree and envisaged myself teaching in schools or universities until I realised that my passion for retail, fashion and interior design could shape my career path in a far more rewarding and inspirational way. I think that if a person has a naturally creative mind they would inevitably be unmotivated and unfulfilled if they worked in a role where they were unable to exercise this.

Are buyers that work in home ware related departments affected by fashion trends? Absolutely! Today, more than ever, a female wants her home to represent her personal style and taste so she will be equally as fashion conscious when dressing her living room as she is when she dresses herself. Trends within homeware tend to follow on from Fashion up to around a year later. Women are a little hesitant in being as brave and bold in their homes because the product is more permanent than an item of clothing which they might buy and only wear for one season before they update it. This means that Home retailers need to strike the right balance between fashion trends and stylish and timeless looks to engage their customers. 

Do you think the theatre world is affected at all by the world of fashion? I think that every stage in the world is affected by the fashion industry whether this be a theatre stage or a stadium concert venue. Fashion shows are ‘performances’ in themselves and designers are constantly reinventing their ‘characters’ in order to capture and maintain the interest of their customers. The world of Theatre reflects this approach because as we watch a performance we want to believe every part of a character. Just as people will dress a certain way in life to express who they are, characters on a Theatre stage will be dressed in certain ways to convey a true character to their audience. This means that fashion and current trends will play an important part in creating a believable character and allowing the spectators to interpret them in the way the writers of the play intended. 

Are you expected to be ‘creative’ to work in a fashion based industry within the buying team? It is not so much an expectation as it is a pre-requisite. If you do not have a creative mind then it is unlikely that you will have the passion and energy to work in such a demanding environment. Often it is the opportunity to be so creative that drives someone to work so hard within a buying team even when circumstances are less than ideal. You are expected to be motivated, enthusiastic and inspirational when it comes to your product area so if you’re not a creative person then you would find it almost impossible to pursue and establish a successful career as a Buyer.

Interviewee 2)Previous practitioner, again a colleague I trained with that has pursued a completely different career in working with children with disabilities after a successful performing career.

Interviewee 2 answers...

What makes a good buyer? Someone who is 'with the times' and not set in their own ways. they have to be open and look at the bigger picture not just their own personal taste

Does having an interest in fashion and interiors inevitably mean you will be a good buyer in this field? To a point, or at least it will be a bonus if you are interested in the field you are buying in because you will be more passionate about it rather than buying into areas you are not keen on. 

Does having a degree in your subject ie. Fashion/interiors related, but no experience make you a valuable buying team member? Or does having practitioner experience but not a degree make a better buying team member? I think having the experience is more valuable than a degree because you will of been hands on and be in real life situations of buying and assisting and you will be more aware of how the buying industry works and dos and donts of the business.



Are practitioners that do have a relevant degree more knowledgeable, and if so does this make a difference in the work-place? I don't think they're more knowledgeable, they may know and understand more text book literature but when it comes down to it, you will learn so much more on the job and through experience

Are you respected more in your profession working for the buying team of a retailer if you have been an experienced practitioner in your field, ie had a large amount of work experience (such-as interning) specifically in this field? Yes i think you may be valued a higher member of the team if you have a lot of experience rather than going in cold with no experience.



Do ex-performers choose a completely different career route,  so as not to be reminded of the carer they chose to leave behind? i dont think they choose completely different, i think a lot of ex-performers choose to go in a creative direction as as a performer they are naturally a creative individual and would hate to be stuck in an office at a computer 9-5! 

Are buyers that work in home ware related departments affected by fashion trends?  Im not really sure? I don't think so.

Do you think the theatre world is affected at all by the world of fashion? yes to a degree as they have to keep in touch with the outside world and incorporate todays fashion if it is a new musical/drama, however if it is an old long running musical then it doesnt matter.

Are you expected to be ‘creative’ to work in a fashion based industry within the buying team? Yes i think it is a massive plus side if you are creative.

It was really interesting to see both sets of answers and see peoples viewpoints on different answers.  I am inclined to agree with interviewee 1 answers, as these were more matched to my personal answers.

As I'm a little stuck with regards to my inquiry it has given me a little food for thought, as within the questions asked I covered both my past practice and current practice, and has highlighted, almost confirmed how they are actually linked in terms of my strengths in general practice that I learnt from past practices and have put into current practices.  I also briefly covered issues I feel passionate about such-as interning.  I may look to develop my questions further more into the ethical side, as ethics within retail is hugely interesting depending on a retailers standards, as from personal experience, I know this can vastly vary!