Most Important Skills For A Buyer At Ross
Gabby, a Ross Buyer, emphasizes the dual nature of the role, requiring both "analytical data-focused brain" skills and creative vision. This involves data analysis, persuasive communication, collaborative problem-solving with vendors ("hold hands...until you come with an inclusion conclusion"), and innovative product development, as exemplified by their work in designing a new skincare serum using Pinterest inspiration for a star-patterned design.
Data Analysis, Communication, Creativity, Problem-Solving, Persuasion
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Gabby DAnnunzio
Buyer
Ross
University of Arizona
None
Business & Related
Apparel, Beauty, Retail & Fashion
Business Strategy
Greek Life Member
Video Highlights
1. Data analysis and mathematical skills are essential for interpreting sales figures and making informed decisions.
2. Strong communication and interpersonal abilities are crucial for negotiation and collaboration with vendors and colleagues.
3. Creativity and a keen eye for trends are important for product development and creating appealing merchandise displays that will attract customers
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
What I truly love about buying is that you get to use both sides of your brain. You get to use your analytical, data-focused brain, and then you also get to use your creative side.
Starting with the analytical brain, you're looking at tons of numbers. It's just figuring out what to add, multiply, divide, and subtract. From there, you essentially see what conclusions you can make based off of all this data.
You also have to be persuasive and influential, while still being likable and getting your point across. This applies when you're being specific about something, or when you want to get something across to your external community of veterans.
It's very fast-paced. You have to be organized and responsive to people, and you're dealing with a lot. Sometimes you can get backed up with emails, conversations, and projects, so you have to be able to balance many things at once.
It's a little like juggling sometimes, working on a few projects at once. But because it's so fast-paced, the day flies by. You also have to be good with hard conversations, which is something you truly learn on the job.
You're going to have tough conversations. You might have a vendor who wants something one way, and you might disagree. You have to work with them to come to a conclusion.
Now for the fun part: the creative side. This is what I personally love and feel so grateful for, and why I don't think I'll ever leave retail. You can go to Sephora, for example, and say, "I love this face cleanser. How can we implement it into Ross?"
You then think about what you love about it: the ingredients, the bottle, the color scheme. You can essentially buy it, give it to a vendor, and they'll help you develop it together. They'll send mock-ups, and you'll say if you want it to look more metallic versus more matte. You'll work with vendors and designers to get something perfect.
A perfect example is when I started, one of our serums looked pretty flat. We wanted it to have stars on it. I found something on Pinterest, gave it to them, and they developed it. We showed it in a business meeting with about 20 people, and we have over 10,000 units coming. Hopefully, customers like it as much as I do. That's a fun creative aspect that's pretty rare in the job landscape.
Advizer Personal Links
Insta gabbydannunzio