Changing paths
Joann Chung blurs the merchandising-marketing line
Joann Chung, controller for merchandising planning, supply chain and special projects, joined Nuance-Watson (HK) in its infancy 10 years ago and has watched it grow into the achiever it is today. And her career, along with the role of a merchandiser, has taken on a journey of its own since those days.
'My first job was in core marketing,' said Ms Chung. 'That position involved quite a lot of merchandising because it is like category management. Now, when we talk about merchandisers, it's not simply about sourcing and buying anymore, but about buying for selling and ensuring that your customers buy your products, it's an important and fundamental part,' she said.
Her background in marketing has been a useful tool in propelling her career into merchandising because merchandising integrates marketing in a major way.
'Marketing is quite related to merchandising. You must have a certain level of marketing sense, for example, knowing what the customer wants and how you can present it nicely and properly to the customer to attract attention and convince them to make the purchase.'
Ms Chung said merchandisers equipped with marketing knowledge could better negotiate with vendors and ask for their support from the customer's point of view.
Having started her career in sales and marketing roles and progressing into supply chain and eventually into merchandising, Ms Chung said her career development armed her with the necessary skills and broadened her horizons, giving her a competitive edge to succeed and encouraged others who considered a career change not to be put off by merchandising.
'Merchandising can enrich somebody with more strategic intelligence with a broader view to advance into a more senior level in a corporation,' she said.
