Job Description for Greeting Card Merchandising

U.S. consumers buy 7 billion greeting cards every year.

U.S. consumers share emotional sentiment through 7 billion greeting cards each year, according to the Greeting Card Association. Card companies hire greeting card merchandisers across the country to keep the thousands of retail greeting card aisles stocked.

Description

Greeting card merchandisers order card inventory, stock shelves and fill out inventory reports for greeting card companies, according to Lawrence Merchandising Services content on Bizymoms. Employment agencies like Lawrence Merchandising Services often handle hiring merchandisers for several retail companies in their local area. Greeting card companies also advertise online and in local newspapers.

Skills

Skills required for greeting card merchandisers include the ability to follow directions as well as retail merchandising skills. Greeting card merchandisers also have to stand and lift over their heads to be able to stock shelves and count inventory. Standing for about 5 hours at a time is typical. Customer service skills are also recommended because you will be stocking shelves when the retail outlet is open and customers will ask for assistance. You need to be a self-starter and be willing to work part-time, anywhere from 10 to 20 hours a week. Greeting card merchandisers also need to be able to read small fonts and may be lifting large quantities of cards--20 to 50 lbs. Most companies will require greeting card merchandisers to have access to a working computer, an email address and a working phone number.

Compensation

Greeting card merchandising jobs will sometimes offer compensation of mileage, especially if the merchandiser stocks more that one outlet. Greeting card companies pay either by the hour or often by a determined fee for each day or each week. For example, Lawrence Merchandising Services offers $10 (in 2010) per the one day a week the greeting card merchandiser was required to work. When applying for a greeting card merchandiser position, the company you are applying with will be able to tell you what that particular position pays and how many hours a week are required.

Time Frame

The majority of greeting card merchandiser jobs are part time--making them good fits for stay-at-home parents who have school-age children. While the positions are mainly part-time, many retail vendors looking for additional hours take on other vendor positions in the retail location. Often, vendors stock shelves for more than one greeting card company.

Benefits

Greeting card merchandisers often get to schedule their own hours. People who don't like the idea of a boss breathing down their necks find a greeting card merchandiser position a good fit. Your supervisor is usually in another location and makes scheduled monthly or bi-monthly visits to check your inventory.

References

• The Greeting Card Association; General Facts; 2010
• Bizymoms; Part-time Greeting Card Merchandiser Needed;
• Lawrence Merchandising Services; Application; 2010