Paula Podesta is the first person to admit she takes her job home with
her. In fact, many nights, she's merchandising in her sleep.
"I have this recurring dream where I put something on a shelf and someone
keeps taking it off," says Podesta, a merchandiser in Toronto.
As head merchandiser, Podesta has a big say in how the clothing, linens,
pottery and household items her company sells are displayed across North America.
In designing a look for the stores, she has lots of room to be creative,
within the guidelines set by the designers in the company.
"I take what they tell me and try and create it in each store so we have
an overall look that's unique to us. Consistency is important," says
Podesta.
Consistency can be a real challenge for retail merchandisers. It would
be easy if she were creating museum displays that weren't meant to be
touched, but Podesta is quick to point out the aim of a good merchandiser
is to help the store sell the products.
"Sometimes you spend a lot of time on a display, but you have to remember
the whole point of merchandising is to sell. It's a temporary work of
art."
In fact, Podesta knows she's really done her job when she comes into
a store to see her displays dismantled or altered to fill in empty places.
This tells her people found her display both appealing and approachable.
"It's no good to have a store that looks like a museum because people
don't want to come in and touch anything."
Podesta got her start working in a retail store, and found she had a knack
for putting displays together. Now, 11 years later, Podesta travels all over
North America doing displays for her company.
On a typical day, Podesta will show up at a store with her tool kit, bags
of props and merchandise. Then she gets to work. And she does admit she can
get herself into some pretty big messes.
"It can seem like an overwhelming task when you're surrounded by all
these products you have to display," says Podesta, who has to get out of these
messes in a hurry and get the store looking good.
And sometimes, with lots of confusion and activity in a store, this can
be hard to do.
"You really have to focus and prioritize. These are the most important
things for a merchandiser because you can so easily get sidetracked into a
million other things," says Podesta.
Getting sidetracked is something all merchandisers have to watch out for,
and Podesta isn't the only one who struggles with this.
Jeremy Moore finds just the amount of material he starts with can be distracting.
"I'm surrounded by all these products and mannequins and wigs and
lighting equipment -- sometimes it's hard to know where to start," says
Moore, an independent merchandiser in Philadelphia.
Like many merchandisers, Moore considers himself a bit of an artist, taking
great pleasure in creating an attention grabbing window or an innovative new
way to display a product.
"Merchandising can make or break a store," he says. "It's what brings
people in."
While Moore likes to think of his work as art, he also realizes it serves
a more practical purpose as well.
"A store will bring me back if my displays bring people in and sales go
up. Even if I've created the best window in the city, if it doesn't
sell, I haven't done my job. I have to remind myself to think like a
customer."
Moore also has to create his displays in a limited time and often finds
himself in stores late at night. He goes in with plans and specifications
and works from there. Then as day breaks and he finishes up his task, he can
see the product of his hard work. This is the aspect of the job Moore finds
most rewarding.
"I get to see my work from start to finish and I get a real feeling of
satisfaction from seeing what I've done."
While Moore says he loves having the opportunity to be creative with department
store windows and other big merchandising projects, he says the small projects
are important too. And while they may not be as exciting to do, they pay the
bills.
"I might not have as much to work with on these projects, but sometimes
a smaller store can be a real challenge," says Moore. Doing merchandising
for an eyewear store has been one of the most challenging projects
he's taken on lately.
Whether he's setting up a vitamin display or making a fashion line
look more appealing, Moore stresses merchandising isn't all fun and games.
"Most people think it's a really fun job, and it is, but it's
also hard work." Moore sometimes puts in a 50-hour week. Even with the odd
really long week, he says meeting different people is fun and each new project
is something to look forward to.
"Every display is a chance to do something creative and different," says
Moore. "It's never a dull experience."