BSc Fashion Buying and Merchandising

Fashion buying requires a strong commercial and analytical foundation. The course is designed to provide students with an appreciation of the creative fashion drivers needed to be a successful fashion buyer, such as the ability to pick out and identify trends, as well as a solid understanding of the business acumen required for the products they buy to be a commercial success. The strong textile science underpinning the course offers students a unique understanding as to the technical performance and construction of the garments. This course focusses on the role of the fashion buyer, as well as the numerical and data analysis skills which are essential to fashion buying. Fashion buyers have to work well in a multifunctional team, such as liaising with marketers and merchandisers to understand consumer demand in order to facilitate the flow of stock in the most profitable way, and so the course emphasises collaboration within business. The changing nature of the supply chain, including fast fashion and seasonal buying strategies, is also explored on this course.