Role Of Merchandisers in garment or clothing industries.

Garment Merchandisers:-

Merchandising is the department which mediates marketing and production departments.Merchandiser is the interface between Buyer & Exporter. Merchandisers are accountable from order analysis to the shipment of goods as well payment settlement of the goods. So Merchandising is the very valuable department in the Apparel Industry and a merchandiser is plying very important role in garment or clothing industries.

If you are interested to be a part of Merchandising team then this articles about the role and responsibility of merchandiser will help you in this regards.

Garment merchandisers works responsibilities in apparel industry described as below:-

1.   Internal & external communication:A merchandiser has to communicate not only with the buyers but also with others such as suppliers, nominated factory owners, fabric manufacturers etc for Required  Material arrangements for product .

2.   Sampling:It is one of the most important task for all the apparel merchandisers. Here sample have to developed according to Market trends as well instruction from buyers specially for export houses. Different types of sampling responsibility is there for merchandisers, such as -Proto sample, fit sample, PP sample, Photo shoot Or Advertisement sample, sales man or marketing samples, size set sample, Shipment sample  etc.

3. Record sheets maintaining :An apparel merchandiser has to prepare various types of internal or external record sheet such as costing sheet,TNA sheet for customer as well for materials, capacity booking sheet, Internal order sheet, Bill of materials, tracibility record sheet, etc. Merchandiser should have to keep the long time record to get full fill the customer query. 

4.   Accessories & trims :After confirmation of a garment export order, a garment merchandiser has to book all the trims required for the product as well co-ordinate with supplier or purchase team for on time in house of materials as per planed PCD date. 

5.  Purchase order Generation:For small scale garment industries purchase order of all raw or finished materials raised by merchandiser only. For bigger export houses there is a separate purchase team whose taking care of material ordering as well in house follow up of goods as per merchandisers guide line .
6.   Approval Taking for lab dips of fabric or trims:It is the other important task of an apparel merchandiser. At first, lab dip should be done by maintaining buyer’s recommendation and submitted by the merchandiser to the buyer for its approval. If it’s ok then buyer approved it for running garment production.Before placing the bulk order of trims Merchandiser should have to take approval from buyer first.

7. PP Meetings: In garment or apparel industries pp meeting is compulsory task which is organized by the merchandiser. This meeting helps all dept to know about the requirement of product by customer to make the quality product by getting in issue on the time of production or after shipment. Merchandiser is taking care of all details to be circulate by releasing product file with customer instruction on final sample as well test report of fabric and other order details.

8. Guiding production and quality department:A garment merchandiser must have to make good relationship with the garment production and quality department for smooth and fault free production. This also creates a great impact on shipping the good quality product timely. Good Merchandiser should have the technical as well design knowledge about the product to deal with all dept. 

9.Final Inspections:Inspection should be done before dispatching product to buyer. Inspection procedure can be done by self,buyer or third party. Here merchandiser have to take responsibility of providing product details or approval details to inspector.
Merchandiser is sharing the final inspection report to customer and giving go ahead of shipment after buyer confirmation.

10. Shipping Mark Guide line: Shipping mark is valuable requirement for customer which represents the packing contain in carton box. Guide line instruction is shared by buyer to merchandisers and merchandiser is arranging the shipping mark instruction detail on carton pack goods by the help of printed carton box or by carton sticker.

11. OCR Preparation:- Order closing report have to prepared by merchandiser to check the profitability of project. This report also help in order to optimise the balance material in another product by knowing the correct balance stock report.

12. Payment Follow up: This is the last role of working part where merchandiser should follow for the balance payment after goods dispatch as per payment term agreed to customer.Merchandiser taking care of payment after dispatch of goods.

Merchandisers check list for care label artwork.

Check list of care label:- A knowledgeable merchandisers is always having there check list while dealing with wash care label.

It could be maintained by keeping the check points in mind or by maintain documents record of washcare label check list point wise.

Below is some details of check list points:-

• Fabric Composition:- Always check the fabric composition first to know about the details of fabric.

Composition details is compulsory to use by all nominated garments industry on care label.

• Symbols reading:- Be very careful while selecting labels Symbols as it's representative of instructions and care requirement for the selected fabric.

Care Symbols detail is easily available on search by the word care label symbols details.

Symbols can select as per fabric nature towards conditions(washing, drying,pressing etc.).

• Written detail clarity:- Most of care instruction is written on care label artwork. Before going to write any instruction detail on care label artwork you have to check the fabric test reports to verify the instructions.

• Language conversion knowledge:- Its related to export house, You have to write the same instruction of care label in local language of a country where the product will get sailed.

• Supplier and Manufacturer detail:- Supplier and manufacturer details is the last detail of care label artwork. It can be written by the short details also like - Country of origin(Made in India, Made in  china etc).
This particular information is basically used for tractability purpose. It's identifying the manufacturer detail if any further remark received from customer on particular product like- complain against product purchased by end customer.
Buying agencies in garment industry is very concern about this part(Tractability records) as it's related to the compliance requirement also.

Importance of Care label in garments

Care label or washcare label is one of the most common item used in most of all garments as it's define -fabric composition and fabric sensitivity towards chemical and others substance.
If any instructions will not match with fabric requirement leads result towards fabric damage or color fastness issues in garments which is a big Customer claim in this industry.
Popular brands and manufacturer is always taking care for the development of the care label artwork and label material quality by knowing importance of Care label use.

How to make washcare label artwork

Care label:- Label which indicates about instructions of washing and care of fabrics or garments as per the nature of fabric and there finishing type.

Care label artwork uses:- Wash care label is playing a most important role in garment industry as it's directly related to customer claim which is disaster condition for garment export house or related buying house.
Merchandisers of garment industry is taking care of making the artwork of care labels.
Below details will help to create care label artwork.
Before start making artwork you should have to keep the details of fabric composition, fabric washing test(various method of washing as per customer use), fabric or garment pressing and finishing requirements.

We can make care label artwork by below details:-
1. Fabric composition:- Most important details which can be on top of artwork page or below the symbol.
Ex: 97%COTTON 3%LYCRA
       65%POLY 32%VISCOSE 3%SPENDEX
2. Symbols of instructions and care:- Symbol is the representative of instructions and care. On the time of washcare label symbols selection care fully study the fabric behavior by reading the test reports.
Multiple symbols can be use for making care label artwork as per fabric nature as per weather conditions.
3. Written instructions and care details: It's optional detail which is used by many brands.Because these details help those Customers who don't have information about symbol.
4. Manufacturer or Manufacturer country details- These details will help Customer to trace the supplier so it's always mentioned on the bottom of artwork or another page of artwork.
5. All details in other languages:- Most of brands is making there Wash care artwork by selecting local languages of selling country as well English language instructions and care details.

Attached images of care label will help to understand the above written details.