Fashion Terms — the Apparel Search fashion terminology directory
Do you know the difference between being a buyer and a shopper of clothing? A buyer, in the fashion industry, is a professional who purchases clothing on behalf of a store or company, deciding what the store will stock. A shopper is a consumer buying for themselves. This page explains the difference between the two roles that meet on opposite sides of the retail counter.
Buyer of Clothing vs. Shopper of Clothing by Apparel Search - Terms of Interest to the Fashion Industry
Fashion Terms Fashion Terms Directory Fashion Terms by Category
Do you know the difference between being a buyer and being a shopper? Well, we are not sure if we have the correct answer, but here is our opinion.
Certainly the two words have many similarities. Actually, many people would classify these words as having an identical meaning. In regard to this article, we wish to classify these words into two unique classification.
We would like to think of a "shopper" as a consumer that which purchases clothing or fashion accessories from a retailer (store, online shopping, catalog etc).
We would like to classify a buyer as a person that professionally buys apparel or accessories. A person that makes his or her living buying apparel (for example, a womenswear buyer purchases women's clothing from a wholesaler or manufacturer to sell in a fashion boutique).
Is it a good idea to begin a fashion career as a buyer of fashion? If you wish to work in the fashion industry, gaining experience as a buyer is a good step for your career path. You can check for clothing buyer jobs and see if any of the choices are of interest to you.
How do I find buyers to purchase my brand? This is a very common question for fashion designers that are starting out in the business. Our suggestion is for you to purchase an apparel buyers guide.
If you wish to become a professional buyer of fashion, you can check this clothing store directory to locate potential employers.
If you simply wish to buy clothing for yourself, your family or for friends, and are content being a "consumer", you can shop for clothes online or visit an actual store location.
If you are interested, you are welcome to read our description of "consumer of fashion".
Written by ML at Apparel Search August 2, 2007
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A store buyer works seasons ahead of the shopper. While shoppers are buying winter coats, the buyer is already reviewing next autumn's lines, and the decisions made then — which brands, which styles, how many of each size — become the racks the shopper will browse months later. Buyers travel to showrooms and trade shows, compare lines against their store's customer and price points (the bridge, contemporary and better classifications defined in this section are their working vocabulary), and then manage the consequences: reordering what sells through and marking down what does not.
The shopper's side of the counter has its own expertise, and this directory treats it seriously: fit knowledge, fabric literacy and timing — the back to school and Black Friday entries describe the seasons shoppers plan around. When the two roles are confused, advice goes wrong in both directions: consumer guidance about “buying well” rarely helps a professional buyer, and trade discussion of open-to-buy budgets means nothing to a shopper. Keeping the words distinct, as this page does, keeps the whole vocabulary of the industry clearer.
A professional employed by a retailer to select and purchase the clothing the store will sell — judging lines, negotiating with manufacturers and deciding quantities. The fashion industry buyers resources linked from this page serve that profession.
A consumer who buys clothing for their own use — described in this directory's consumer of fashion entry, which this page invites interested readers to read next.
Because the same word “buying” hides two different jobs. A buyer's decisions are commercial — margin, sell-through, assortment — made on behalf of thousands of future shoppers, while a shopper's decision is personal: fit, taste and budget for one wardrobe.