INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 1,625,700 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 77,600 to 1,703,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales jobs was $65,420 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $31,950, and the highest 10% more than $129,200.
Our conclusion? The Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales job market is wide open for candidates.
Top merchandise manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a job-winning experience section: Merchandise Manager resume edition
Merchandise Manager Resume Experience Section: Dos and Don'ts
- List 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include only relevant job experience;
- Make sure to highlight your strongest skills by focusing on the challenges you’ve faced and the results you’ve achieved;
- Don’t use buzzwords that carry no meaning;
- Don’t share confidential information about your previous employers.
If you prefer to be led by example, check out some great Merchandise Manager resume experience section snippets below!
- Achieved 100% of Ladies' Accessories sales target and 102% of Ladies' Handbags sales target by closely coordinating with suppliers and concessionaires regarding merchandise mix, promotions and planogram.
- Achieved 4% and 6% growth in gross margins of Ladies' Accessories and Ladies' Handbags by sourcing quality products with the most cost-efficient price and by implementing effective promotions with the least impact on margins.
- Analysed effectiveness of promotions and ensured proper execution in stores.
- Created timely and accurate reports essential in reviewing department performance and provided recommendations to improve business.
- Managed the opening of two new stores by determining the right brands for each store, arranging the store layout and convincing brands to enter the stores.
- Achieved 100% of Ladies' Accessories sales target and 102% of Ladies' Handbags sales target by closely coordinating with suppliers and concessionaires regarding product line, promotions and planogram.
- Achieved 4% and 6% growth in gross margins of Ladies' Accessories and Ladies' Handbags by sourcing quality products with the most cost-efficient price and managing the promotions with the least impact on implementing
- Aggresively implemented promotional activities to lower ageing inventory and manage overall inventory level.
- Created timely and accurate reports essential in monitoring department performance and monitoring targets.
- Managed the opening of a new store.
- Senior Leadership position based within H&M AU Support Office, reporting to Head of Merchandising
- Manager for Menswear (2017/2018) & Womenswear (2019/2020)
- Concept expert assigned with driving profitable net growth through setting commercial plans for the category, managing concept WSSI, closing stock & generating top down OTB with Merchandise Planner
- Plan, optimise & review budgets for category based on weekly & quarterly selling, optimise reductions budget, activities, stock risks & opportunities ensuring a structured follow up communicated to wider business
- Experienced in communicating strategies, forecasts & budgets with Country Management Team & wider company, including thorough knowledge in the global & local supply chain
- Manage OTB with Merchandise Planner to secure profitability and stock composition long and short term, in line with developing aggressive local pricing strategies aligned with company goals
- Liaise cross functionally within Sales team functions (Marketing, PR, Visual, Operations) to ensure maximum visibility of category performance
- Optimise the stock package & allocation per store category & per state, across 40 stores in Australia
- Set allocation strategies per store that meet supply and demand, ensured that the correct products were maximised & the stock balance and size curve is always meeting its full potential
- Develop upcoming Merchandising talents & store team members, empowering them to carry out concept strategies and visions
- Senior Business Leader based in the Local Merchandising Function for Australia and New Zealand
- Managing Menswear across Australia and New Zealand with 49 stores, and previously managed Kids, Home and Divided (ladies youth) categories
- Market expert developing, executing and reviewing categories strategies and budgets to drive profitable net growth and presented these to C-suite
- Analysis of trade through WSSI tool; on weekly, monthly and seasonal level devising actions to minimise risk and maximise opportunities and applying accordingly
- OTB management signed off with Head of Merchandising and sent to global buying team
- Affect buying levels and pricing on product level through collaboration with global buying team ensuring long and short term goals are achieved and inline with company strategies
- Creating allocation strategy to ensure ideal stock positioning and managing entire allocation process for 5000 SKUs seasonally including store segmentation
- Product management with particular focus on aged stock ensuring that permanent and short term markdowns proposals are inline with margin targets
- Developing new team members within the Merchandise Function resulting in successful completion of training program and additions to the team
- Drove and communicated product strategies to meet financial objectives, serving as the lead of a collaborative team.
- Delivered healthy comp increases across the 16 years in varying departments - Men's, Wos, Tops, Bottoms, Non-apparel, Retail, Direct, etc.
- Launched new programs including Women's Wrinkle Free Shirts, Men's Nano Khakis, and EB Tech.
- Awarded the Best of Bauer recognition on 3 different occasions.
- Wholesale purchasing and sourcing of esports merchandise
- Curating of the product catalogues at multiple online stores
- Coordinates and supports license initiatives
- Collaborates on online campaigns and marketing
- Lead the merchandise business of DreamHack including ecommerce and the retail in merch stores at more than 20 large gaming events
- Designed and developed the entire DreamHack product catalogue
- Increased ticket revenue by upselling add-ons and merch bundles
- Achieved revenue targets and budget goals on a tight deadline schedule
- Designed and developed the Team Liquid merchandise catalogue
- Established the Team Liquid online store with worldwide distribution from warehouses in Europe and North America
- Designed community websites in the Team Liquid network
- Operational Management of the entire business arm (in-store and online) including the implementation of the retail strategies, range planning and design, KPI and metric forecast and execution, staff recruitment, education and training.
- Overhauled the pricing structure to maximise revenue from high volume selling products in-turn lifting the total revenue of the department by 89% and the Gross Profit by 74% over 3 years.
- Significantly increased the profitability of the off-court category by increasing penetration in underdeveloped sub-categories such as headwear and clothing.
- Developed strategies, analysed and identified opportunities and risks to drive the Department to its highest potential and presented these recommendations to the CEO monthly.
- Produced monthly sales and inventory reports, promotional analysis, and top seller reviews to accomplish sales, meet gross margin and turn goals.
- Ensured proper inventory levels and allocation for all Merchandise.
- Implemented an integrated POS system that enabled real time stock, sales and metrics reporting.
- Accurately forecast daily sales and overall inventory for 50+ unique items for tours spanning 4-12 weeks. Efficiently balance inventory vs. daily sales totals to reconcile discrepancies and maintain < .25% loss.
- Research and establish fair market price for merchandise in 13 countries. Broker in product and pay customs fees, taxes, or tariffs.
- Strictly monitor road inventory to foresee potential item shortages. Remotely reorder product and establish drop shipment instructions.
- Hire, train, and manage staff of 12-16 people to handle merchandise sales of up to $150K/day servicing crowds of 35K individuals.
- Increased merchandise revenue and accuracy annually.
PRO TIP
Check the Merchandise Manager job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your merchandise manager resume
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An impressive skills section for your merchandise manager resume
Writing a skills section that stands out:
- Check the job advert for keywords that you can use: this will help you pass ATS;
- Focus on relevant and valuable skills that will support your application;
- Make sure to include both hard and technical skills, leaving soft skills for other sections of your Merchandise Manager resume;
- Don’t list skills you don’t have.
Top skills for your merchandise manager resume
Salesforce
MS Office
CRM
Forecasting
Cold Calling
Business Development
Customer Service
Project Management
Relationship Building
Time Management
Storytelling
Research / Information Gathering.
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving.
Tech Savvy
Networking
PRO TIP
When picking skills to feature in your resume, make sure they'll be relevant to the position you’re applying to. The point of listing skills is for you to stand out from the competition. Stay away from repetitive, meaningless skills that everyone uses in their resumes. Or else, they’ll backfire and make you look like an average candidate.
Merchandise manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
CHECKLIST For Your Merchandise Manager Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Merchandise Manager resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
The merchandise manager resume summary: tips and tricks
Making a strong first impression.
- Keep your summary section short and easy to read; avoid long sentences;
- Highlight your total years of experience in the field;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements and strengths;
- Add a couple of keywords from the job advert.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
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Merchandise manager resume: a strong education section
What to include in your education section:
- Your highest education degree (incl. major, duration, name of institution);
- A bit more about the certifications you’ve got (if they are relevant to what you’re applying for);
- Some extracurricular activities that have helped you develop and strengthen your skills;
- If you’re an entry-level applicant: Relevant courses and projects.
Top Certifications for your Merchandise Manager Resume
The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager
The Complete Course for becoming a Successful Project Manager
Fast Track Retail Buying and Merchandising
The essentials of merchandise management, buying, range planning, product development and many more
Open To buy- Retail Merchandising Planning
Merchandise Financial Planning
Retail Merchandising
How does Retail merchandising fit into the World of Retailing
Visual Merchandising Course For Retailers and Students
Learn the key principles of great Visual Merchandising & Window Dressing
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Merchandise manager resume: How to choose the right format
The content of your resume is necessary for showcasing your expertise, skills, and education. Great formatting, on the other hand, is essential for highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to stand out.
There are three basic resume formats to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which one of these you choose depends on a couple of things, but most importantly: the industry and your level of experience.
The reverse-chronological resume format, for example, is great if you’re a Merchandise Manager with many years of experience and no career gaps. It doesn’t really matter if your company of choice is a multinational corporation or an early-stage startup – this resume format is considered to be a safe bet.
If you’re someone with little or no experience, however, we advise you to go for a functional skills-based resume format. It focuses on skills, competencies, and education, rather than experience. This makes it great for entry-level applicants, career changers, and graduate students.
And if you’re tired of traditional formats and want to go over the top when it comes to your application, the combination or hybrid resume format is here to help. Here, you can focus on both your experience and your skills, there’s even space for you to highlight your most spectacular personality traits. If you want to give a modern feel to your Merchandise Manager resume, this resume format is just what you need. Add a ‘my life philosophy’ section for additional bonus points!
Looking for ways to perfect your Merchandise Manager resume layout and style?
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts (sized 10-12p);
- Match the length of your Merchandise Manager resume with your years of experience – choose a one-page template if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- To be on the safe side, save your resume in PDF. This will help you avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Your merchandise manager resume: Other sections to include
Tired of resumes that focus only on your professional side? Want to show you’re an actual human being with a real personality that goes beyond your work experience? Then add some other sections to your Merchandise Manager resume!
Depending on the industry, company, and position, you can go for a more creative or less creative approach. Choose 1-2 of the following:
Making your merchandise manager resume shine
In a pile of boring black and white resumes, a creative Merchandise Manager application feels like a breath of fresh air. And trust us, recruiters love this.
There are two ways to add a splash of creativity to your resume. You can either go for a creative layout (bright colors, modern fonts, etc.) or add some creative sections (e.g. ‘what my typical day looks like’).
It’s up to you! Just make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk going over the top. And that’s not always a good idea.
What makes a great merchandise manager resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
