jobfacts

Merchandisers

SOC 2020 3553

Merchandisers ensure that stores are supplied with goods, liaise with suppliers, decide on pricing and promotions and advise retailers on the optimum display of merchandise.

Also calledRetail buyerWholesale buyerFood buyerRetail merchandiserMerchandising assistantDemand plannerand 7 more titles
Typical full-time pay£32,2002025 Provisional
People in the job24,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,100↑ 4.1%on last year · 179th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time merchandisers earn, 2025
£32,200 typical£26,300lowest 20%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£26,300
25%£26,800
Median£32,200
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £32,200
South West!£30,200
North West!£25,000
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £32,200
South West£30,200 (small sample)
North West£25,000 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £26,800
  • 2024 £30,000
  • 2025 Provisional£32,200
↑ 20% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,100 jobs for merchandisers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,129
Jul 20261,164
Jun 2026Not published
May 20261,002
Apr 2026983
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026824
Jan 20261,243
Dec 2025461
Nov 20251,121
Oct 20251,293
Sept 20251,430
Aug 2025986
Jul 20251,149
Jun 2025995
May 20251,061
Apr 2025846
Mar 2025976
Feb 2025894
Jan 20251,028
Dec 2024651
Nov 20241,001
Oct 20241,312
Sept 20241,306
Aug 20241,527
Jul 20241,380
Jun 20241,255
May 20241,358
Apr 20241,046
Mar 2024939
Feb 20241,202
Jan 20241,447
Dec 20231,109
Nov 20231,156
Oct 20231,210
Sept 20231,398
Aug 20231,113
Jul 20231,275
Jun 20231,574
May 20231,178
Apr 2023988
Mar 20231,200
Feb 20231,309
Jan 20231,459
Dec 20221,389
Nov 20221,345
Oct 20221,678
Sept 20221,842
Aug 20221,963
Jul 20222,042
Jun 20221,757
May 20222,016
Apr 20221,463
Mar 20221,801
Feb 20221,611
Jan 20221,950
Dec 20211,818
Nov 20211,984
Oct 20211,820
Sept 20211,571
Aug 20211,464
Jul 20211,664
Jun 20211,481
May 20211,318
Apr 2021989
Mar 20211,633
Feb 2021937
Jan 20211,017
Dec 2020980
Nov 20201,087
Oct 20201,340
Sept 20201,073
Aug 2020786
Jul 2020625
Jun 2020635
May 2020567
Apr 2020627
Mar 20201,325
Feb 20201,150
Jan 20201,037
Dec 2019802
Nov 20191,137
Oct 20191,219
Sept 20191,288
Aug 20191,132
Jul 20191,654
Jun 20191,815
May 20191,533
Apr 2019891
Mar 20191,318
Feb 20191,016
Jan 20191,305
Dec 2018770
Nov 20181,317
Oct 20181,249
Sept 20181,566
Aug 20181,460
Jul 20181,356
Jun 20181,510
May 20181,280
Apr 20181,214
Mar 20181,528
Feb 20181,780
Jan 20182,097
Dec 20171,347
Nov 20172,082
Oct 20172,635
Sept 20171,883
Aug 20172,098
Jul 20171,825
Jun 20172,316
May 20171,782
Apr 20171,568
Mar 20171,863
Feb 20171,348
Jan 20171,805
Is there a shortage of merchandisers?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was critical.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
24%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for sales, marketing and related associate professionals, which includes merchandisers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London496
Manchester80
Somerset64
Birmingham60
Leeds54
Cornwall41
North Yorkshire37
Liverpool32
Glasgow City29
Bristol, City of28
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where merchandisers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of merchandisers
n/p
36%!
n/p
n/p
11%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3436% (small sample)
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–6411% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!45%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!36%
GCSEs or equivalent!22%
Other qualifications!3.7%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent45% (small sample)
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent36% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent22% (small sample)
Other qualifications3.7% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: activities of head offices (11%), retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating (10%), binding and related services (8.3%), retail sale of newspapers and stationery in specialised stores (5.4%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
45%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
2
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 2 years
typically

Routes in

You can get into this job through:

University

You can do a degree before joining a retail company graduate scheme. Employers recruit from a range of degree subjects, including:

  • fashion buying and merchandising
  • retail business management
  • supply chain management
  • marketing

You could choose a course that includes a year's work placement to get relevant experience alongside your qualification. Or you could gain experience from a part-time job or a summer internship.

Your university careers service can help you to find part-time roles, placements and internships.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship with a company, for example:

  • Buying and Merchandising Assistant Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Retail Manager Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Assistant Buyer and Assistant Merchandiser Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You can start as an assistant buyer and go on to become a junior buyer and work your way up. To go straight into a buying role, you'll usually need a qualification in retail or business.

It's possible to get experience in retail on the shop floor, in visual merchandising, or as an admin assistant in a buyer's office. You can then spend time learning, training and getting qualifications on the job.

Other routes

Some companies in fashion retail offer training schemes specifically for buyers. These tend to be aimed at graduates. Other types of retailers offer general store management training schemes with the option to specialise in buying or merchandising later on.

You can also take procurement and supply qualifications through the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply.

You can find out more about working as a buyer from the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply, and as a clothing retail buyer from the Fashion Retail Academy.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for retail buyer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

2 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • monitors stock levels and manages the movement of goods
  • predicts future demand and negotiates the supply and price of goods to ensure stores are stocked
  • analyses customer requirements, the needs of individual stores and the organisation, and works with suppliers to develop a product range
  • supplies information about products to the retailer and sales staff
  • consults with advertising and sales staff and advises retailers on the optimal display of a product and of any promotions
  • provides feedback about sales to senior managers

Skills

  • assist customers
  • demonstrate products' features
  • ensure customer focus
  • ensure product preparation
  • establish customer rapport
  • hand out product samples
  • keep promotions records
  • maintain work area cleanliness
  • organise product display
  • prepare presentation material
  • use different communication channels
  • achieve sales targets
  • advise customers on the preparation of beverages
  • apply regulations regarding the sale of alcoholic beverages

Knowledge

  • characteristics of products
  • characteristics of services
  • product comprehension
  • sales promotion techniques
  • alcoholic beverage products
  • company policies
  • food allergies
  • nutrients of confectionery

Suits people who like

  • Leading and persuading
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business and public service associate professionals, a group of 26 jobs that includes merchandisers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 1.2%about 26,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.