Merchandisers are responsible for ensuring that promotional products are at the right quality, quantity, place and time. They must communicate and interact with vendors, customers, and different private and government agencies. These professionals have a great sense of techniques related to advertising, marketing, and promotion, and specialize in a particular line of merchandise. For instance, workers at departmental store deal with women´s wear, men´s wear, children´s wear, etc.

Merchandisers usually perform many of the following tasks:
• Coordinating the work flow among buyers.
• Training buyers.
• Identifying market opportunities.
• Following the latest trends.
• Overseeing merchandise activities.

• Having good analytical skills.
• Being able to supervise a team.
• Having positive attitude.
• Being resourceful and creative.
• Having math skills.
• Being able to manage time effectively.
• Having good interpersonal skills.
• Being adaptable and versatile.
• Having advertising skills.
• Being able to network with clients and store suppliers.

Merchandiser job placements demand candidates having an Associate´s or Bachelor´s Degree in Graphic Design, Marketing, Fine Arts, Interior Design, or Visual Merchandising. Degree programs of four or more years provide the best prospects and preparation for jobs in this field. Those who want to be Export Import Merchandisers need to have a Bachelor´s or Master´s Degree in Foreign Trade, including experience in the field of international marketing. Experience is an important point for most companies and they generally require applicants having five to ten years of background in the area of business and marketing. Expert Rating is the institution that offers certification for professionals working on this field. These qualifications are Terminology Certification and Merchandising Awareness.