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UdemyLifestylePaid courseBeginner levelCertificate

Become a fashion buyer - learn the essentials (Udemy.com)

Learn the essential tasks of a fashion buyer and skills required to secure your first role!

4.5
639 reviews

Created by: Diane C

Last updated October 2019

Our take

Based on the ratings of 639 students and a sample of their written reviews. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is a short, theory-led introduction to fashion buying, about 2.9 hours long. It walks through what a buyer does, how buying departments are organized, how a range is planned, how suppliers are chosen and negotiated with, and the basic maths of landed cost, gross profit and open to buy. The last section covers work experience, CV and cover letter tips, and interview prep. It is aimed at students, recent graduates and career changers who want to decide whether buying is for them. The description itself says it is not for anyone wanting advanced study.

Reviewers like the clear structure and Diane Curtis's clear, unshowy teaching. Several say it gave them a real picture of the buyer's role and how teams are set up, and the CV advice at the end gets a mention. One reader who already works as an assistant buyer found the sales report formulas useful. The complaints are about delivery. Some find it dry, with too many text slides and audio over notes rather than video. One reviewer disliked the sound quality, and others wanted more examples, more calculation practice and downloadable notes. One said the subtitles were off.

The course was last updated in 2019, so the job-hunting advice may feel a little dated. With 639 reviews and a 4.5 rating, it holds up well for what it is. Treat it as an orientation, not training. If you can sit through slides and want to know whether buying suits you before spending on a degree or a longer course, it is a sensible first step. If you want worked examples or hands-on range planning, look elsewhere.

Best forStudents and career changers who want a quick look at the buyer role before committing to a degree or a job hunt.
Skip it ifYou want worked examples, calculation practice or in-depth range planning, or you need lively video teaching.

Pros

  • Clear structure covering buyer duties, team setups, range planning, suppliers and pricing
  • Final section gives CV, cover letter and interview tips for landing a first buying job
  • Covers landed cost, gross profit and open to buy with basic calculations
  • Short at 2.9 hours, with a clear, unshowy teaching style reviewers find easy to follow

Cons

  • Mostly narrated slides and audio with little video, so it can feel dry
  • Last updated in 2019, so the career advice may be dated
  • Light on examples, calculation practice and downloadable notes
I learned a lot about what it takes to land a role in the field of fashion buying and how buying teams are usually structured.
Nina Altenburger, a student

Beginner fits. Reviewers with no buying background found it useful, and it stays at overview depth throughout.

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What you will learn

  • Know the role of a fashion buyer
  • Know the skills required to succeed as a fashion buyer
  • The confidence to embark on a career as a fashion buyer

How it compares

Against the other 418 rated Udemy courses in Lifestyle on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 32% of them
  • Reviews639#131 of 419 by number of reviews
  • Length2.9 hourslonger than 51% of them
  • Last updatedOctober 2019earlier than 76% of them

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Course Description

Become a Fashion Buyer - Learn the essentials.
This course will help you decide if becoming a fashion buyer is for you, and it will help you understand the key tasks of a fashion buyer and the skills required to become a successful fashion buyer.
By the end of this course you will be in a position to understand what a fashion buyer does. You will have the confidence to either embark on further study or take the steps to securing your first job as a fashion buyer.
Section 1:
IntroductionSection 2: You will learn the buyers main responsibilities You will gain an understanding of the key areas a buyer is evaluated on in their role (otherwise referred to as KPI's or key performance indicators), and You will understand the key skills required to be successful in this role. Section 3: Structures of buying departments are discussed from small to large sized businesses , different types of buying roles (brand buyers to product developers) and We will cover other staff roles in a buying department that work alongside a buyer. Section 4: You will understand the steps involved in planning a fashion range Section 5: You will gain an understanding on various sources used in predicting fashion trends for your fashion range and a checklist is provided for you to create your own trend board. Section 6: You will gain a good overview of the financials involved in planning a fashion range, and gain an understanding of the considerations to factor in when building a fashion range. Section 7: You will understand what to look at when sourcing a fashion supplier, how to evaluate a supplier and understand the different types of suppliers. Section 8: Understand the steps involved in negotiating with a supplier. Section 9: You will understand the term landed cost price and how this is calculated. You will also understand the importance of strategies involved in setting the retail price. Gross Profit calculations are also included in this section as it is important financial part of a buyers role. Section 10: You will understand the fundamental analytical functions in a buying department and gain an understanding of what an open to buy is. There will be basic calculations and examples of an OTB. Section 11: You will gain an understanding of the key sales reports reviewed in a buyers role. Section 12: You will gain tips on the best way to land your first role. We will cover work experience, qualifications, finding available positions, cover letters and CV presentation, and interview preparation for meeting with a company.
Who this course is for:
This course is suitable for students, recent graduates or people seeking a career change into buying.
Suitable if you are seeking a short course on buying, to help you decide whether you embark on further study in buyingPlease note: this course is probably not for you if you are seeking to learn more advanced and in depth studies on fashion buying.
Read More Beginner Beginner Level product length iconTime: 2.9h

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Instructor Details

Diane C

Fashion Buyer, Fashion lecturer and Business owner, Diane Curtis has a wealth of knowledge in buying departments for both small and large International fashion brands.
Diane's passion for becoming a fashion buyer began in the womb. Her parents were manufacturing and supplying fashion footwear across Australia and New Zealand, and as a child her father would seek Diane's feedback on the range, where she happily gave her feedback on different styles and trends.
At age 10, Diane's innate passion for fashion was evident, with bookshelves full of fashion magazines, every month she would be sure to purchase a fashion magazine and spend hours scanning the pages to take in the latest fashion trends.
As Diane reached her adult years, she still had a deep desire to work in buying roles and expand her knowledge, and travelled to London to work in buying departments for large fashion brands.
Senior roles in buying continued with International fashion brands: Armani Exchange, CK Calvin Klein, and French Connection.
Diane is now a fashion lecturer as well as a business owner.
Diane's approach is to educate people about the foundations of buying and the key skills required, knowledge and duties that are conducted on a buying floor. Diane's passion is in helping people to become confident in knowing what to expect in a buying department and arming them with the knowledge to succeed in the industry.

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Reviews

4.5

639 ratings on Udemy

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By Candice Ruiters on 11/7/2020

The content is quite good and informative but the lecturer does not articulate herself well at all, it just does not flow. Perhaps it is the recording equipment? It makes everything sound nasally and it is quite distracting.

By Paniz Homayouni on 11/1/2020

very detailed and clear mostly

By Jesika Ruiz on 9/8/2020

This is a great course! I am enjoying it!

By Abigail on 9/6/2020

More detail about the sale and stock reports would be helpful.

By Burcu Sayg on 9/6/2020

I enjoy the course and learned a lot. I can recommend to all who want to works as a fashion buyer, it is a good start. The only thing I don't like (Maybe it's not related to the course but) the subtitles are really bad translated. Sometimes it distracted my attention because I realized what I read is different than what I hear.

By Anirudh santhosh on 8/15/2020

The explanations are clear and understandable

By Alanna Wray on 8/14/2020

I really loved this course, i feel as though I got a good insight into a fashions buyers role.

By Jean McGillicuddy on 7/18/2020

Teacher is excellent - very well organized and explains things clearly. Good info!

By RITIKA DOGRA on 7/1/2020

I have an experience in the same as an assistant buyer & I did this course to polish my knowledge in the same. It was quite helpful to me especially in terms of formulas used in sales reports & understanding the depth of various facets of this role.

By Gabriela Camanaru on 6/15/2020

The course gave me some insight about what a buyer role actually means beyond the general idea. I wish that the section about reports would have been more detailed though. The course is good but it can be improved by adding more sources of inspiration when it comes to forecasting trends and more support documents for each lecture.

By Simphiwe Hlatshwayo on 6/9/2020

It would be nice to have notes for future reference. I would also liked a bit more details on certain sections.
I think it would also be be beneficial to help people with what can accompany their CV's. Maybe a portfolio that pertains to buying ect.

By Abida Begum on 5/27/2020

Thank you! This is the best short term course one can subscribe, to know all about buyer or fashion buying.. :)

Showing 12 of 83 reviews

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Overall Score : 90 / 100

Become a fashion buyer - learn the essentials
Visit course on Udemy Write a review
  • Video Duration: icon 2.9h
  • Price: $44.99
  • Provider: icon Udemy
  • Updated: icon October 2019
  • Level: Beginner Beginner
  • Language: icon English
  • Certificate: icon Yes
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