People who are too busy and work and find it hard to go on shopping for clothes, groceries, gifts and other merchandise use the services of personal shoppers. Read on for the job description of a personal shopper.
What is a personal shopper?
Personal shoppers are persons who help people in selecting and purchasing groceries, clothing and other items. The scope of their job ranges from buying gift for their customers to giving advices for a total image change. This particular field uses several job titles like image consultant and fashion consultant.
Duties of a personal shopper
- Personal shoppers are expert in advising their clients along with giving the highest customized level of services possible to various individual shoppers. They are generally responsible in providing personalized attention as well as giving advanced knowledge regarding services, products and trends.
- Personal shoppers serve as trusted consultants for people who with great desire to enhance their buying experience. This job requires a deep and open relationship with clients in order to communicate proactively with them on a regular basis as professional advisors. They define the highest level of services, customer satisfaction and sales in each retail operation.
- Personal shoppers also build client-base loyal shoppers who make frequent purchases. They transform their client’s shopping experience into an inspiring, productive and easy one. They lead their client with appropriate shopping experience and guide them to services and products that suit for their client’s desires and needs.
Conditions of work
Personal shoppers work across the country. Their services are mostly in demand at huge metropolitan areas. They usually work at irregular hours including weekends and evenings as most clients are busy during weekdays. They also spend ample time in various department stores looking for new products and reading magazines for new trends.
Educational Requirements
There is no specific educational requirement for personal shoppers. However, obtaining relevant fields in fashion design, marketing and communication is very helpful. Aspiring candidates may also gain a certification from the AICI or the Association of Image Consultants International. Experience in buying and retailing is also helpful.
Occupation and Progress
- The salary wages for personal shoppers usually depend upon the level of service, reputation and the type of shopper. Independent fashion consultants earn about $25 to $300 hourly for personal consultations for at least 3 to 4 hours. Some may charge $20 to $80 hourly for shopping time.
- Personal shoppers usually earn a median wage of about $30,000 to $57,500 per annum. Benefits may include paid vacations and holidays, pension plans as well as health insurance. However, self-employed personal shoppers provide their own benefits.
