We’ve decided to sit down and have a one on one interview
with Alia Shah, the merchandiser of Ash City. Alia describes her job as a
fast-paced and exciting, always keeping her on her toes. Alia is always
juggling multiple projects all at the same time, prepping new plans for the new
season and having an open eye for trends.
Here are some
questions that we’ve asked her about her job profession as a Merchandiser.
How would you describe a typical day for you at the Ash City office as a Merchandiser?
I don’t think there is a typical day as a Merchandiser –
every day is different. I am constantly juggling various projects; it’s very
fast paced and it’s always keeping me on my toes.
What’s the best part about being a Merchandiser?
The best part about being a Merchandiser is that I always
get to learn something new. Research is a part of my job that keeps me on top
of things including current and upcoming trends, industry knowledge and
expertise on our competitors. I get to constantly evolve myself in this role
and get a nice refresher season after season.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I am working on various projects in
preparation for our Spring 2014 launch including the catalogue and other
marketing materials. I am going to have to switch gears shortly to start
thinking and planning for our Main 2015 collection!
What type of skills would a person need to be a Merchandiser?
A merchandiser needs to be passionate about their job and be
able to motivate themselves, in addition to being creative and being able to
visualize the final product. Prioritizing work load and staying organized is
crucial to staying on task. I would also say that being able to get along with
people is important because of the cross departmental projects you work
on.
What’s the first thing you do when you enter the office?
The first thing I do when I enter the office is check my
emails, open my merchandising timeline to prioritize my projects and get a feel
for what I have to do throughout the day as well as plan for what’s to come.
What would a busy day be like for you as a Merchandiser?
A busy day for me would consist of meetings that the
merchandising department needs to prepare for including any presentation
material and samples, staying on track to meet my deadlines –there are always
completion priorities, I have to ensure I am working on the things that need to
get done right away, and assisting my team when I am called on to do so with
various projects.
How would you describe your perfect day off of work?
My perfect day off work would include sleeping in, catching
up on my favourite shows and some retail therapy.
