A love of shopping and a good knowledge of fashion trends and brands, a keen eye for every type of body shape, excellent image advice and colorimetry... These are just some of the skills required for a professional. becoming a personal shopper ! Discover our training tips to join this industry!
What does a purchasing assistant do?
What is a personal shopper? The personal shopper, also known as a relookeur, shopping assistant or image consultantis a professional stylist.
Before beginning his mission, the image coach meets with his client to understand his expectations, his budget and, above all, his personality. He observes the client's style and morphology, and determines the colors that best enhance the silhouette. He offers his novice customers support from A to Z.
The personal shopper then defines a strategy for advising his customer down to the smallest detail. He or she looks for ready-to-wear boutiques likely to supply clothes and accessories that match the customer's style and budget.
Then he submits his intentions to the model. He takes her shopping at the chosen outlets, for a fitting session.
Clothing stores remain the main working environment for personal shoppers. In addition to accompanying customers, this professional's life is punctuated by a variety of activities: developing his or her network with partner chains, negotiating with brands to obtain previews, attending fashion shows... The personal shopper must always keep abreast of the latest trends.
He has to adapt to a varied clientele. They may be people looking for a style that reflects their personality, or wealthy foreigners from Asia, the Middle East or Russia, attracted by Made in France and French elegance.
Thanks to his professionalism, the customer will know how to wear the garment every day and understand their fashion potential. They can benefit from the personal shopper's services for a single session or on a regular basis. The aim is to help them become autonomous in their clothing choices.
Education and training
Is it possible to become a personal shopper without training? We recommend that you fashion training and a diploma. For example, having completed a BAC pro Métiers de la Mode or a BTS Mode-Vêtements is an excellent springboard to this position.
To have integrated a training at a fashion school ISAL PARIS is the icing on the cake. The personal shopper will have acquired the fundamentals of products, materials, marketing and fashion communication.
At this institute in the heart of Paris, future personal shoppers can enroll in one of our 3 Bachelors programs:
- Bachelor of Fashion Creation and Design Fashion design: this 3-year program offers a wide range of skills in styling, pattern-making, textiles, design and communication. Students broaden their artistic culture and their knowledge of the history and latest trends in fashion. During their studies, students take a wide range of courses combining theory and practice, to develop their creativity while taking into account the constraints of the marketplace. Each student is supported by specialists in fashion creation and designfrom clothing to accessories. Thanks to an annual project entitled "collection and catwalk", he develops his style and his "relooking" techniques, taking into account each morphology.
- Bachelor in Luxury, Fashion and Merchandising Personal shopper: this BAC +3 course introduces students to the design and implementation of actions tailored to the needs of a specific clientele. Students learn the fundamentals of marketing and fashion professions (design, graphics, textiles and wardrobe). With a specialization in fashion and luxury, they discover how a company operates and develop their sales techniques.
- Bachelor in Fashion, Luxury and Digital Marketing This BAC +3 vocational training course provides students with real product knowledge and know-how. From the design to the presentation of a fashion or luxury product, whether online or in a physical boutique, future personal shoppers gain an in-depth understanding of this highly sought-after sector. Thanks to a 3 to 4 month internship, they gain initial professional experience and discover the secrets of the job.
The skills of a good Personal Shopper
To become a personal shopper, the professional must have undergone training that provides him or her with a wealth of knowledge in styling and beauty, applied to various morphologies. Of course, he or she couldn't do the job without a strong interest in fashion. As this sector is constantly evolving, the coach needs to keep abreast of the latest trends in terms of colors, textures and cuts.
His sharp eye gives him a sense of aesthetics and a perfect mastery of dress codes today and tomorrow.
During shopping and makeover sessions with customers, the purchasing assistant needs to be highly persuasive.
Finally, if the personal shopper is self-employed, he or she must be able to develop a network of partners and, above all, a loyal clientele.
The qualities you need
Being a personal shopper means working in human relations. The coach must therefore appreciate contact and develop a certain sensitivity. To succeed in their relooking missions, it's important for them to be pedagogical and benevolent, so that their advice can be heard and accepted. Clients need to feel comfortable enough to try on a wide range of clothes outside their comfort zone, and to gain self-confidence.
During his career, purchasing assistants need to hone their listening skills to understand your model's needs and expectations.
The approach must be ethical and deontological, because customers want to discover themselves in a reassuring way to improve their image and find a style that suits them in their personal and professional lives.
Patience, optimism, organization and empathy are essential sales skills to become a personal shopper. Personal shoppers also need to be financially rigorous in order to carry out their projects and develop their reputation.
Salary and career development
The personal shopper profession is vast. With experience, this image expert can offer high-end consulting services in the luxury sector. They can also develop their own freelance business or work as a personal shopper. set up your own makeover agency. To build his reputation, he will need to broaden his field of expertise by accessing training courses (beauty enhancement through make-up, for example).
After training, the purchasing assistant may consider a position with greater responsibilities, such as store manager or sales manager.
Depending on their status, personal shoppers can charge up to 55 euros for a one-hour session, whether for image consulting or coaching. The salary of a personal shopper can vary between 1,800 and 4,000 euros gross per month if working for a retailer.
