WORKING FOR KOOKAI, one of the world's trendiest clothing brands, is always about fashion, but it does not always equate to a life of glamour for the merchandisers behind the scenes.
Merchandisers work hard and, despite the perks and excitement of being in the rag trade, the job can be challenging, according to Eva Cheung Wai-yee, the deputy general manager for the French brand in Hong Kong.
'Working in fashion gives me energy and keeps me young. I've been in charge of Kookai for more than seven years and I'm sure I look much younger now than I did when I started. It keeps you on your toes and it can be very rewarding,' said Ms Cheung, who is employed by Fairton International, the local franchisee for Kookai.
Ms Cheung has three others to help her execute the brand's merchandising plan. A merchandising manager, who is also the buyer, and two support staff ensure that the city's seven Kookai outlets are well stocked with the brand's latest and most popular offerings.
To get the most accurate picture of what customers want, merchandising staff spend one or two days a month on the shop floor, taking note of customer habits and monitoring what is selling, and what's not. This helps the team calculate how well the stock is doing and how close they are to meeting turnover and gross profit targets.
Such number crunching is an integral part of the job but can often be quite tedious, according to Ms Cheung. She said the more junior members of the team tended to handle this task, and they were also responsible for overseeing stock transfers between stores. As well as being good with figures, staff at all levels needed good communication skills and an eagerness to deal with people.