The term merchandising refers to the stages of planning, creating, and selling: identifying a particular market segment and designing, planning, and producing or selecting a collection of merchandise that appeals to that market in terms of color, style, fit, materials, price, sizing, and timing. Merchandisers are hired to work either in the design/wholesale side of the industry or on the retail end. On the retail end, they are part of the retail management team consisting of general merchandise manager, divisional merchandise manager, director of planning, buyer, and associate and assistant buyer.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.