Responsibilities and functions of a food merchandiser. What should a merchant know? What conditions for qualification are put forward by the job description of a merchandiser

The trade niche occupies a significant part in the country's economy. The actively developing field of activity determines the demand for professions related to ensuring its functioning. Promotion of products on any point of sale, as well as organizational control of sales is difficult to implement without a merchandiser. The prospects of the store depend on the competence of the specialist, since its future is directly dependent on established relationships with the supplier, on the organization of timely purchases of the goods sold, and on controlling the quality and quantity of products on the shelves.

Profession merchandiser

The functions of a merchandiser are multifaceted, but they all come down to the responsibility of a specialist in establishing relationships between the supplier, the buyer and the head of the trading company. Their correct organization is disclosed in the job description of a specialist.

Who is a merchant?

The success of an enterprise often depends on the competence of the employee, so employers should be responsible in choosing applicants for the position. The merchandiser manages the goods. He is responsible for the quality of the goods to the buyers and for the quantitative criteria of sales to the head of the enterprise. The specialist is responsible for negotiating with contractors and for timely delivery of products.

The functional duties of a specialist are formed by the specifics of the enterprise. IN large companies often resort to the services of several merchandisers. They are usually charged with various duties, and control is vested in the head of the department.

Job Responsibilities

The job description of a merchandiser includes several functions of an organizational and documentary nature. The specialist must have an idea of ​​the procedure for the formation of the product range and its pricing policy. It is in his competence to control the quantity of goods stored in the warehouse.

The commodity manager monitors the acceptance of products, organizes their accounting, issuance and storage of residues. When working with documentation and with special software, the specialist is engaged in the accounting and planning of purchases. His responsibilities also include negotiating with suppliers and processing product purchases. The general responsibilities of a specialist are:

  • analysis assortment policy companies;
  • formation of a standard assortment range and its regular adjustment based on the results of the analysis;
  • evaluation of product quality;
  • defect diagnostics;
  • acceptance in terms of quantity and quality;
  • sorting in preparation for sale;
  • conducting internal control associated with checking the compliance of the quality of the goods, the conditions and terms of its storage with regulatory requirements;
  • ensuring minimization of losses during transportation, storage and preparation for sale;
  • detection of falsification of goods;
  • documentary support of all stages of product movement;
  • information support of management in commodity research activities;
  • provision of information for the preparation of financial statements;
  • negotiating and processing transactions with counterparties;
  • sales promotion;
  • development of marketing strategies.

Apparatus employed

When hiring a merchandiser, the presence of specialized secondary specialized or higher education and work experience is welcome. Such parameters of the applicant indicate his competence in the field of knowledge of the rules of trade and the procedure for carrying out organizational measures aimed at increasing sales and ensuring product quality control.


In times of shortage, the position of a merchandiser was hardly one of the most prestigious and in demand. Since it was he who could get any goods, even the most expensive ones. Over time, this one lost its popularity, but did not become less significant. Now, with the advent and rapid development of supermarket chains and stores, only an experienced and highly qualified merchandiser can navigate a wide range of goods. A good specialist is first and foremost an expert on product quality, who makes sure that only the best products go on sale.

In different enterprises, depending on their size and specifics, merchandisers may differ somewhat, but basically they include:

  • formation of a range of goods, preparation of orders
  • acceptance, quality control, quantity and timing of product sales
  • drawing up claims against suppliers in case of detection of marriage, low-quality products or failure to fulfill their obligations
  • verification of accompanying documentation of goods (waybills, invoices, contracts, etc.)
  • maintaining contact with suppliers,
  • control of the presence of goods in the warehouse and on the trading floor
  • participation in the inventory, identification of surpluses and shortages
  • checking the conditions of storage of goods in warehouses
  • analysis of the work of competitors
  • release of goods from the warehouse
  • study of demand and identification of trends in its change
  • participation in the formation of pricing policy

The merchant must know:

  • ways to control the quality of goods
  • the procedure for concluding transactions with suppliers and their documentation
  • basics of accounting for goods and determining the need for them
  • regulations, standards, specifications storage of goods
  • trade laws
  • range of goods sold
  • warehouse management rules
  • fundamentals of economics, protection and organization of labor
  • principles of window dressing and display of goods, rules of product neighborhood
  • procedure for processing applications for the supply of products
  • claims
  • fundamentals of advertising and marketing
  • safety precautions, sanitary standards, fire protection requirements

A highly qualified merchandiser must have the skills to work in several professions at once. So, for example, he must take control of the display of products on the counter, like a merchandiser, be able to communicate with suppliers, like a sales manager, and also keep a record of the arrival and departure of goods, like an accountant.

Requirements for a merchandiser

Not every person can become a good specialist. The merchandiser must have analytical warehouse mind for competent ordering, to have good memory to keep in mind a large assortment goods and prices, as well as organizational skills to maintain order and stock. And this is not all the requirements that a highly qualified specialist must meet. Here are some of them.

Professional skills:

  • secondary vocational or higher education
  • computer skills, it is desirable to be able to work in specialized programs (1C, Excel, etc.)
  • knowledge necessary documentation(standards, sanitary norms for the storage and sale of goods), trade rules
  • ability to analyze trends in demand
  • preferably have work experience

Personal qualities:

  • attentiveness
  • sociability
  • business communication skills
  • honesty
  • accuracy
  • observation

It is very important that the merchandiser answers all these. So, for example, thanks to attentiveness and observation, a good specialist will be able to distinguish quality goods just by him appearance, having studied the expiration dates, the integrity of the package, etc.

Rights of a commodity specialist

In addition to responsibilities, the merchandiser has the following rights:


The rights of a merchandiser are an integral part of his work activity. We can say that these are the duties that the management of the enterprise has to the employee. Compliance is very important to maintain high performance work of the entire company.

Responsibility of the merchandiser

During the performance of his duties, the merchandiser has direct contact with others, has access to material values, equipment, information and documentation.

As a result, he is responsible for:

  1. Material - for causing harm or loss to the enterprise.
  2. Functional - for failure to perform or untimely performance of work.
  3. Organizational - for failure to comply with orders and instructions from the management, violation of safety regulations, labor protection laws, non-compliance with labor discipline, disclosure of production secrets.

When you need to be sure to familiarize yourself with the internal labor policy of the enterprise. Concerning liability, then with a commodity specialist most often they conclude an agreement on full or partial liability, which clearly spells out possible penalties for causing losses to the enterprise.

It is very important to define the boundaries of functional and organizational responsibility.

After all, if you can get off with a warning for a job or an untimely report, then non-compliance with labor discipline can lead to more serious punishments, up to and including dismissal. Therefore, it is imperative to study the rules of labor discipline and penalties at the enterprise.

How to become a merchant

Considering that the requirements for a commodity specialist are quite difficult, and the range of duties is very wide, we can conclude that it is not so easy to get this specialty.

The best way to master necessary knowledge is the acquisition of secondary vocational or higher education at a technical school, college or university. There you can learn how to determine the quality and freshness of products, identify fake goods, understand barcodes, etc. However, theoretical knowledge is not all that a real specialist needs. The more experience with goods, the greater the heights he will reach in his career.

The profession of a merchandiser is very important and responsible, because he is responsible for the quality of goods not only to the management of the enterprise, but also to a large number of buyers. Therefore, no enterprise will hire a non-professional, but highly qualified specialists can count on high and career growth opportunities.

Write your question in the form below

Employment in any profession and for any position involves familiarization with the rights and obligations that will accompany the applicant throughout the course of employment.

This information is contained in a special document - job description which must be present in enterprises and organizations. The profession of a merchandiser is no exception, the device for which involves the implementation of all necessary actions in order to fully comply with the position held.

The main specificity of the profession of a merchandiser is direct work either in firms and organizations whose activities are related to trade, or in such enterprises where it is necessary to control the quality of manufactured or incoming goods.

Moreover, the types and types of goods can be quite diverse- from food (bakery, meat products) to household chemicals and building materials.

The previously very popular profession of a merchandiser for some time lost its relevance, but with the development of the country's economy, the expansion and improvement of points of sale, the opening of new stores and hypermarkets, it is again demanded.

Document composition

The job description of a merchandiser consists of several sections, each of which separately defines the main duties of the employee holding such a position, the actions to which he is entitled, as well as the main conditions for the performance of labor duties.

General provisions

The profession of a merchandiser belongs to the category of specialists and can be divided into two possible categories:

  1. A specialist of the second category must necessarily have a university degree in the relevant specialty, as well as some work experience in a similar position - in this case, it is required to work for three years.
  2. As for the commodity manager of the first category, in order to work in such a position, one must necessarily have a higher education and, before that, carry out labor activity for positions in the second category for a period of not less than two years.

In any case, hiring or dismissal can be carried out exclusively by the director of the company.

Job Responsibilities

The main duties of a merchandiser are as follows:

It should be noted that the list of responsibilities of a merchandiser may differ significantly depending on the internal policy of the organization.

Rights

In addition to certain duties, the merchandiser also has rights:

  1. Make available proposals related to improving the work of the organization, changing any parameters, indicators.
  2. Contact the higher management (immediate supervisor) in order to receive some assistance in the performance of their duties.
  3. Receive information about changes that will directly affect the performance of duties.
  4. Make inquiries from other departments about things related to his competence.
  5. Take action to eliminate factors that hinder the performance of their duties.

Responsibility

Fulfilling your official duties, the merchandiser can carry such types of liability:

  1. Material. In the event that the company suffers a loss through the fault of the merchandiser, he may be held liable, and later partial or full compensation for damage is possible at the expense of wages.
  2. Organizational. Commodity experts who did not properly fulfill their duties or did not follow the instructions of their immediate superiors may be brought to such responsibility. It also includes violation of safety regulations, disclosure trade secret or one related to production.
  3. functional. It includes the incomplete performance of one's work or inaction in certain situations.

The main conditions for the work of a merchandiser are determined internal politics enterprises and may consist in providing him with a job and other material and technical means that facilitate the performance of official duties or make them possible.

It is also worth noting that when performing his work, a specialist can be guided by the charter of the organization, internal regulations and methodological documentation related to the requirements for such a position.

Peculiarities

Depending on your specific place of work, the principle of activity of a merchandiser and the features of performing his duties may differ somewhat. Let's consider some of them.

Groceries (grocery store)

When carrying out labor activities related to food products, the merchandiser must pay Special attention quality incoming and on-shelf products. This factor is due to the fact that it is necessary to exclude the presence at the outlet of products with an expired shelf life or one that does not meet the current quality standards.

In addition, in order to maintain the quality of the goods, it is necessary to periodically monitor not only the products that are supplied, but also those that are on sale at the moment.

non-food

When working with non-food products, the merchandiser must pay attention to their quality and quantity. In addition, do not forget that although such goods do not belong to the food, but, nevertheless, also often have a limited shelf life.

Merchandising expert

The main work of a commodity expert is that he carries out his work in relation to determining the quality of products. Thus, he can perform labor activities not at a retail outlet, but within a laboratory. In this case, his main duties are to directly assess the goods, take measures to improve their quality and, if necessary, conduct examinations within their competence.

The most widespread profession in trade is a merchandiser. This employee has the opportunity to work in enterprises that are engaged in trade, the provision of services. In addition, the profession of a merchandiser makes it possible to find work in shops, supermarkets, warehouses, customs authorities, etc.

The need for a profession

The need and necessity of this profession are undeniable. If an employee performs his duties well, he will always be a sought-after specialist who can identify fakes and determine the quality of products.

In general, the work of a merchandiser in any company is the same, the volume will only vary depending on the size of the organization.

The main features of the profession

This profession is promising where there is a good opportunity for career growth, if the employee has all the necessary knowledge.

The main duties of a commodity specialist are to check the goods for compliance with the prescribed standards, form the procedure for receiving and spending valuables, search for goods that were not delivered to the enterprise, and establish contact with counterparties.

The position of a merchandiser in any company has similar functions. It is possible to single out only small nuances contained in the document “Job description of a store merchandiser”:

  • formation of orders for goods;
  • assistance in writing documentation for contractors;
  • acceptance and quality control of goods;
  • conducting an inventory;
  • implementation of related and other duties, if some employees of the store are absent.

What should a merchant do?

The job description of the merchandiser prescribes duties, which are as follows:

  • prescribe the desired degree of product quality;
  • check the goods for those characteristics that were declared before their purchase;
  • submit for discussion by the director recommendations regarding the formation of a procurement plan;
  • actively participate in the preparation of the production plan;
  • to control all contracts, and in addition to control obligations for the sale or purchase of products or materials;
  • write letters to counterparties with complaints about low-quality goods, respond to incoming correspondence from counterparties;
  • track the consumption of raw materials and the degree of workload of goods;
  • establish contacts with contractors;
  • participate in writing regulations for the company's work in the field of product sales, quality tracking, delivery of raw materials, etc.;
  • organize accounting for the receipt and expenditure of the entire volume of resources that the merchandiser must monitor;
  • search for lost products;
  • take stock of the warehouse and showcase;
  • conduct a study of the reasons for the accumulation of products and materials in the warehouses of the enterprise, develop methods for their sale;
  • control the preparation of products for shipment to customers, prepare the necessary documents;
  • prepare all reports related to the performance of duties.

It can be seen that the profession of a merchandiser contains a large amount of work, which requires the employee to have a good analytical mind.

Features of the formation of the application

One of the important functions of a merchandiser is to form an application for a product. He determines the required quantity of products, forms an application, sends it to the supplier.

Upon receipt of the goods, the merchandiser, whose duties are that he checks the quality of the received batch, first of all examines the invoices for the products that have arrived, enters all the data into the program. Upon arrival of the goods, he performs its unloading.

Upon receipt of the accompanying documentation for the goods from the driver, he checks it. After unloading, he receives the products, checks the batch for the quality and volume of the delivered goods.

The job description of a merchandiser contains a function that consists in the correct movement of goods to the warehouse. This is a crucial moment, because there are a number of goods that should not be close to each other or they need certain conditions storage. The moment is especially relevant when it comes to the position of "commodity manager food products".

Every week, the merchandiser conducts a comparison of databases of goods, checks information on costs and receipts, on payments.

That is, this profession requires a large amount of knowledge, as well as great organization and responsibility.

Components of the profession "merchant manager"

Responsibilities may vary even within the same company. An employee can have the following functionality: pricing and formation of a product range; control of the availability of the required volume of products in the warehouse; receiving and issuing goods from the warehouse; keeping records of goods; control over the conditions of their storage; formation of a purchase order; paperwork.

What conditions for qualification are put forward by the job description of a merchandiser

This employee must have graduated educational institution or have an average specialized education. Experience will be a plus when looking for an employer. Also, the merchandiser must be able to work at a PC at the level of an experienced user, be attentive, sociable, accurate.

The salary level of the profession "merchant manager"

The position is in high demand today. The level of wages is largely dependent on the place of work. The average wage level is 40,000-50,000 rubles. Career is possible with great professionalism and experience.

The main points of the "Job Description of the Commodity Specialist"

The merchandiser is a specialist. There are several categories of profession.

The director of the company can hire or dismiss from it by issuing an order.

When performing work, the merchandiser uses the following acts:

  • methodological documentation for his position, regulatory documentation relating to his duties;
  • orders of the directorate of the company;
  • articles of association;
  • rules of procedure in force in the company;
  • job description.

The merchandiser is accepted into the company, taking into account the fact that he must have the following knowledge:

  • all kinds of regulations and documentation that relates to the acquisition of materials and the sale of products in organizations;
  • modern ways of managing;
  • technical regulations and product standards, its main characteristics;
  • the sequence of formation of plans for the supply of the company and the signing of contracts;
  • ways to track values, calculate their required volume;
  • on filling in and the sequence of generating reports;
  • the basics of warehouse planning and the sale of goods;
  • terms of delivery, storage and movement of goods and materials (commodity assets);
  • methods of acceptance of goods, studying their quality, volume and configuration;
  • prices set to date;
  • norms of stocks of goods and materials;
  • by the type of products that the company sells or produces;
  • economic theory, ways and methods of management;
  • labor laws;
  • the rules of procedure in force in the company;
  • labor protection standards.

In the absence of a merchandiser for any reason, a deputy is appointed by the management of the company, he has the rights and obligations of the merchandiser of the company.

Rights of a commodity specialist

The employee in this position has the right to:

  • study the development of decisions made by the directorate of the company that are related to its work;
  • offer the management of the enterprise measures aimed at improving its activities related to the functionality that is prescribed in its instructions;
  • report to your supervisor about all the shortcomings found in the course of work in the position, propose measures that are aimed at eliminating them;
  • to form requests and receive answers from the direct managers of the company or specialists who are connected with the performance of their direct duties;
  • apply to specialists of your own or other departments of the enterprise for a more complete performance of their functions and duties, if this is permitted by internal regulations, or with the permission of the directorate;
  • send requests and requests to the administration, the directorate of the company to assist in the performance of their official functions and rights.

Evaluation of activities in the position of "merchant manager"

Assessor of the quality of the duties performed - the head of the enterprise. The assessment is carried out based on the results of the fulfillment of all the duties assigned to the commodity specialist. It takes into account the level of complexity of the work, independence in the process of their implementation, responsibility, initiative and a non-standard approach to activities. It also takes into account the quality of the functions performed and their effectiveness, experience practical work, the level of knowledge of the profession, etc.

Responsibility of the merchandiser

The employee is responsible for:

  1. For high-quality (poor-quality) performance of their direct duties, for illiteracy and incomplete application of the rights vested in the framework of their instructions - within the framework of labor legislation.
  2. For the admission of offenses that he committed in the performance of his work - within the framework of the Criminal Code, as well as the Civil Law.
  3. For causing damage to the company - within the framework of the Civil and labor legislation.
Details

What the merchandiser should know is indicated in his job description. What, according to her, does a merchandiser need to know? Let's figure it out.

Merchandising is a profession in demand. Such a person is a generalist who must have extensive knowledge about the product that he deals with in the organization (acceptance of goods, implementation, quality control, and much more).

What does a merchant need to know?

This specialist needs to be a professional in various issues, which ones? This will be described in the job description of the merchandiser (JD) when he gets a job in the staff of a certain organization.

The job description of a merchandiser is a document that is developed either by individual specialists in an organization, or by direct management, which is subsequently approved for each specialist in the state.

For a commodity specialist, as for a specialist of a special category, a separate DI is being developed.

What a merchandiser needs to know in each case depends on where he works. Below are a few job descriptions that differ by the place of work of a specialist. In particular, such places of work as a warehouse and a grocery store are considered.

Warehouse merchandiser job description

What should such an expert know? Warehouse clerk responsibilities include:

  • Knowledge of the required standards, as well as additional documents that are accepted in the organization.
  • Maintaining the required level of order in the warehouse.
  • Identification and setting of requirements for products with which the merchandiser works. Promptly inform management of violations of such requirements and take appropriate action.
  • Product quality check.
  • Monitoring the receipt and availability of products in stock, timely purchase of missing products.
  • Formation of claim documentation for the supply of low-quality products, interaction with the supplier in order to analyze and solve the problem.
  • Negotiating with customers and suppliers.
  • Shipment and movement of products according to the company's plan.
  • Accounting for products and the formation of relevant documentation.
  • Operational search for missing products.
  • Making suggestions for optimizing processes in the company in terms of working with goods in the warehouse.
  • Carrying out inventory work in the warehouse.
  • Checking compliance with the rules for handling products.

The job description of a warehouse merchandiser, given above, is basic, but depending on the specific organization and its policy, it can be expanded and differ from the one presented.

Job description of a grocery store merchandiser

This specialist has slightly different terms of reference from the specialist listed above, and works with a different category of goods.

The job description for a grocery store clerk includes the following:

  • Management of instructions and normative documentation adopted in the organization.
  • Active interaction with the services of the organization (for example, the sales department).
  • Offer your options for interaction in order to optimize processes.
  • Interaction with suppliers and tracking the receipt of goods in the company at the right time.
  • Acceptance and quality control of goods, preparation of relevant documentation.
  • Formation of goods accounting.
  • Trainee training.
  • Timely informing management of negative incidents.
  • Work in special computer programs.
  • Continuous professional development.
  • Maintaining an archive of goods.
  • Ensuring the safety of goods in the trading floor.
  • Carrying out collection.
  • Formation of the necessary documentation.

The job description for a grocery store merchandiser, given above, is also basic. Each organization may have its own amendments and it can be expanded or narrowed down to specific actions of a commodity specialist.

An instruction is a basic document that not only describes what a commodity manager should know, but also what rights, and not just duties, he is endowed with. This is a document and it is subject to the requirements of the law, imposing obligations on both the employee and the employer.

At the same time, the job description of a merchandiser may differ, depending on the place of work and the specifics. So, in the warehouse, the merchandiser will have his own duties, and in grocery store other. Duties will also differ in, for example, a clothing store or when working as a merchandiser-appraiser.

Before employment, the instruction must be read and signed by the candidate for the position, and its strict observance is direct evidence, on the one hand, of high-quality, and on the other hand, of professional work.