Fashion Merchandising

Specific Competencies and Skills Tested in this Assessment:

Core Competencies

• Demonstrate a strong work ethic, outstanding attendance, and effective time management skills
• Model professional behavior by using appropriate business etiquette, dress, and protocols
• Model personal integrity and ethical behavior
• Think critically to make informed decisions, solve problems, and find innovative solutions
• Communicate effectively, including actively listening, effectively speaking, and using appropriate body language
• Apply reading and conventional writing skills to articulate thoughts clearly and concisely in a professional setting (e.g., responding to email, communicating with corporate)
• Utilize industry equipment to adapt appropriate policies and principles to workplace situations
• Demonstrate job seeking employability skills by demonstrating effective interview skills and lifelong learning skills
• Exhibit career awareness by demonstrating understanding of skills and education required for viable career paths

 

Fashion Merchandising Skills

• Analyze, describe, and demonstrate the main principles of fashion
• Identify economic, political, and cultural influences on fashion
• Explain how social media has affected the fashion industry (e.g., blogging, movies)
• Identify the three fashion flow theories
• Identify the main characteristics of natural and manufactured fibers
• Identify the elements/principles of design
• Identify the price market categories of apparel
• Identify the process and methods of apparel production
• Describe the distribution of fashion
• Identify the main types of apparel retailers
• Explain the components of a store layout
• Describe components of a fashion show

 

Customer Service/Sales Skills and Techniques

• Practice effective customer service skills in a business setting
• Practice and apply basic selling concepts and basic telemarketing skills
• Perform effectively in both individual and team environments

 

Cash Handling Skills

• Practice and perform cash handling procedures
• Follow lay-away, rental, and/or merchandise return procedures
• Practice and apply credit card, debit card, and cash sales per company policies and procedures

 

Stockroom Skills

• Receive and prepare merchandise for sale
• Arrange, rotate, and maintain back room stock
• Verify paperwork as set by company procedure

 

Selling Area Skills

• Arrange and maintain selling area and replenish and rotate stock
• Re-mark returned or special sales items
• Assemble and disassemble displays

 

Advertising, Visual Merchandising, Sales Promotion Skills

• Prepare and/or create layouts for direct mail or media advertisement
• Prepare and create interior and exterior store displays
• Identify sales promotion methods
• Understand the components of a marketing plan
• Identify advertising strategies and types of media
• Identify branding and customer perception

 

Market Research

• Recognize the basics of market economics (e.g., trends, fashion cycle)
• Identify the 7 functions of marketing
• Identify the 4P’s of marketing
• Understand marketing analysis and demographic studies
• Explain marketing/product mix

 

Principles of Management

• Understand basic management functions
• Identify effective management techniques
• Identify and understand asset and risk management
• Practice shoplifting prevention and detection procedures as established by company

 

Written Assessment:

Administration Time: 3 hours   

Number of Questions: 209

Number of Sessions: This assessment may be administered in one, two, or three sessions.

 

Areas Covered:

Core Competencies: 19%

Fashion Merchandising Skills: 26%

Customer Service/Sales Skills and Techniques: 9%

Cash Handling Skills: 5%

Stockroom Skills: 5%

Selling Area Skills: 5%

Advertising Visual Merchandising, Sales Promotional Skills: 13%

Market Research: 9%

Principles of Management: 9%

 

Sample Questions:

To function as a professional, it is important to

1. be attractive and well groomed
2. have many years of job experience
3. be a college graduate
4. exhibit a strong work ethic

 

Which neckline is most flattering for a round-faced figure?

1. v-neck
2. square
3. jewel
4. turtleneck

 

Gift wrapping and home delivery are examples of

1. special customer services
2. sales incentives
3. promotional tools
4. public relations

 

Even exchanges and full refunds for customers are considered

1. promotions

1. purchasing
2. distribution
3. adjustments

 

A/An _____ creates a ticket for identifying apparel products by vendor, color, style, and size.

1. bar code printer
2. pattern printer
3. optical scanner
4. punch tagger

 

When a customer returns a damaged item, the sales associate should

1. attach the ticket and put it on the sales floor
2. mark the item damaged per company policy
3. throw the item away
4. give the item away

 

A _____ should include a headline, body copy, and an illustration to effectively market the promotion.

1. billboard advertisement
2. television commercial
3. radio spot
4. print advertisement

 

The marketing process can best be described as the

1. purchase of goods at the local grocery store
2. planning, pricing, promoting, and distribution of goods and services
3. manufacturing, selling, and consuming of goods and services
4. mining of raw materials, pricing, promoting, and selling of goods

 

Which of the following documents belong in an employee’s departmental personnel file?

1. benefit forms
2. performance appraisals/evaluations
3. request for verification of employment
4. grievance materials

 

Yarns made by combining two or more different fibers before spinning are

1. ply
2. spun
3. filament
4. blended